Pacific Rising: A Challenge for the WorldSecuring a Future for Pacific Island Nations

in the Face of Global Climate Change

Photos © Brian Skerry/brianskerry.com and © Greg Stone

Kiribati and Other Island Nations Are Under SiegeA Climate Disaster in Progress

The people of Kiribati and other low-lying atoll islands live no more than 3 meters above the surface of the Pacific Ocean—and now the ocean is rising to meet them. Heat from global warming is increasing the ocean’s volume, melting polar ice, raising sea levels worldwide, and nowhere are the effects more devastating than in the Pacific’s small island developing states. Sea-level rise and storms—strengthened by warmer seas— challenge the very existence of these and other island nations. These conditions magnify the destructive force of disasters such as Cyclone Pam, which hit Vanuatu and other low-lying Pacific islands in 2015, followed soon after by Typhoons Maysak and Dolphin. More carbon emissions will continue to warm the seas, contributing to more powerful and unpredictable storms.

Rising seas and strong winds have already made their mark on these islands: injuring and killing residents, and destroying homes, villages and roads. In some areas, severe coastal erosion and flooding have forced the relocation of entire villages. The invading sea also wipes out food crops and contaminates the islands’ sole source of drinking water, formed by rain that seeps through the soil and floats atop the seawater, about 5 feet below ground level. The effects of this slow-moving disaster on people are devastating—with groups such as women, children, the disabled and the elderly becoming more vulnerable.

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Pacific Oceanscape: Largest Joint Commitment to Marine Protected Areas in History1. American Samoa 2. Australia3. Cook Islands4. Federated States of

Micronesia5. Fiji6. French Polynesia7. Guam8. Kiribati9. Marshall Islands10. Nauru11. New Caledonia

12. New Zealand13. Niue14. Northern Mariana Islands15. Palau 16. Papua New Guinea17. Samoa18. Solomon Islands19. Tokelau20. Tonga21. Tuvalu22. Vanuatu23. Wallis and Futuna

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Rising Seas and Societal PressuresThe citizens of low-lying Pacific nations have been witnessing sea-levelrise and changes in rainfall patterns for decades. Increased flooding hasled to erosion that threatens roads and buildings and contamination ofcritical fresh water resources. These pressures combined with rapidpopulation growth have forced people to move from more remote areasto urban ones such as Tarawa, Kiribati’s capital, which has seen itspopulation more than double in the past 20 years. This has already putenormous pressure on the ability to provide basic services includingproper waste management, adequate health care facilities and othersocial services. The World Bank predicts that fresh water resources inTarawa will be more than 50% inundated in the south and up to 80% innorth by 2050.

Seawater intrusion into fresh water supplies also threatens foodsecurity. Taro and coconut trees, once agricultural and economicmainstays, are increasingly killed by the increased salinity. There arealso serious technology, education and infrastructure challenges,including extremely low penetration of Internet access (less than 10%)and limited airport and highway development. These and otherpressures pose significant challenges to societies trying to adapt to theaccelerating impacts of climate change.

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Nature, Culture and People at RiskThe Pacific islands comprise a vast and unique region on our planet, home to unparalleled natural riches—as well as a tapestry of traditions across 23 countries spread among 30,000 islands and islets.

Some quick facts about the region:

Each nation has a rich and unique history, much of which has been passed down orally through storytelling, music and dance.

It is four times as large as the United States, representing 10 percent of the world’s ocean area.

Some 60 percent of tuna spawns there; the region’s share of the global tuna catch is valued at US$ 2.4 billion.

It is home to an unmatched network of coral reefs—nearly pristine due to their relative geographic isolation.

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Climate Refugees: A Global Challenge for Our TimeFew global events in the foreseeable future will require greater moral or collective action than protecting Pacific island societies from the substantial disruption they face from climate change and sea-level rise. These non-industrialized nations had little to do with the climate crisis, yet they are among the first to bear the costs. Part of the cost is economic. Already, the governments of Kiribati and other low-lying Pacific nations including Tuvalu, Tokelau and the Marshall Islands are struggling to manage requests from their people for assistance to address climate-related damage to homes and infrastructure—placing increasing pressure on national treasuries and systems that are ill-equipped to handle it. This is but a harbinger of what is to come.

There is also a humanitarian cost. The disruption to the islands—and the forced exodus of people from their lands—threatens regional stability and could unravel the very fabric of Pacific societies. If not carefully planned, a human migration of this scale will tax neighboring countries faced with accepting and integrating an influx of refugees. Even with proper planning, neighboring countries can provide a physical refuge but cannot preserve these islands’ ancient cultures.

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Pacific Rising: A ‘Marshall Plan’ for Safety, Stability, ProsperityNo cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, no carbon tax, no ambitious climate deal can stop the calamity in the Pacific. There is already enough heat in the ocean and carbon dioxide in the air to guarantee decades of sea level rise. But the world can prevent
 a calamity from becoming a catastrophe. A collective global effort will be required, on the order of the scale and ambition of the European Recovery Program—known as the “Marshall Plan”—that helped to rebuild the economies of Europe after World War II.

This initiative illustrates what is possible in the wake of disaster—not least by looking to the future without disputing the cause of, or assigning blame for, the crisis.

Pacific Rising’s mission is to ready island nations to adapt and thrive—economically, environmentally and culturally—in the face of climate change for many generations to come.

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Pacific Rising T.E.C. Platform: Tailored to Each Nations Unique Needs

Pacific Rising will work on three fronts to preserve the lives, livelihoods and cultures of the Pacific—creating blue and green innovation networks—to fortify and strengthen technology, economic growth, and cultural preservation of each nation.Every country will set its own priorities for the Pacific Rising T.E.C. pillars based on the unique circumstances, preferences, and opportunities of its nation.

History shows that ambitious efforts work most effectively if learning and best practices can be applied throughout.

Kiribati will lead Pacific Rising’s initial efforts, followed in a phased approach by the coalition of low-lying atoll nations, and ultimately by other Pacific nations. The following T.E.C. implementation pillars are for Kiribati Rising and they are ‘examples’ only.

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Kiribati Rising - example• Broaden high-speed Internet access across Kiribati—for

people, businesses and the government

• Expand monitoring and surveillance of important tuna resources

• Evaluate and implement the safest island-building technologies—including floating architecture and structural engineering for securing sea walls

• Safeguard limited freshwater resources and implement new technologies to support Kiribati’s heavily populated capital and its outer islands by 2017

• Adopt/train/implement a comprehensive portfolio of disaster preparedness tools and technologies

• Transition to 100% renewable and green energy sources by 2025

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Kiribati Rising - example• Secure Kiribati’s Maritime Exclusive Economic Zone

(EEZs) rights in perpetuity

• Build the core infrastructure and private sector partnerships to support a vibrant tourism industry

• Build a network of ‘natural capital’ ventures to encourage the sustainable development of innovative revenue streams—new medicines, coral reef restoration, marine scientific research, etc.

• Develop world-class, environmentally safe mineral and mining industries

• Create a global trade platform for local artisan craft items/ industries

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Kiribati Rising - example• Preserve and expand Kiribati’s rich cultural identity,

heritage and knowledge through education, technology, and development of diaspora ‘blueprints’ for migration nations 


• Provide higher education and training in climate adaptation, technology and business skills to 30,000 Kiribati residents 


• Double the number of hospital and clinic facilities and train 10% of the population to provide highest standards of delivery 


• Implement a secure and equitable visa process for all Kiribati residents with partner nations

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A Phased Approach:For Long-term Regional SuccessFor the Pacific region, climate changes poses existential challenges threatening the survival of whole communities, nations, peoples and cultures. Addressing the extensive threats to the health of people and the vast ocean resources at stake cannot be done by these nations alone. The cost of inaction will mean high disaster recovery costs, refugees, lost cultures and regional instability.

Ownership of the Pacific Rising plan is integral to ensuring the unique character of all nations. Thus, each country will have its own plan and ‘rising’descriptor—KiribatiRising.org, MarshallIslandsRising.org, TokelauRising.org, and TuvaluRising.org.

Lost Culture

Regional Instability

Refugees

Higher Disaster Recovery Costs

Economic Opportunity and Prosperity

Lower Costs

Local & Regional Stability

Cultural Preservation

Pacific Rising is the Beginning of A Plan to Adapt to Future Change, But it Must Start Now. There is no longer time for disputing cause, assigning blame or arguing about mitigation versus adaptation. This is an emergency. The alarms have sounded. We cannot prevent the coming calamity, whether we slow its approach or not. Kiribati and the other low-lying developing nations will do their part to meet the challenge, but they cannot do it alone.

We are hopeful that the COP 21 agreement reached inParis will be aggressive and unifying, but it will not change the impact of sea level rise on Kiribati and other low-lying coral atoll nations. For them it may already be too late.

A collective global effort on the scale of the Marshall Plan is a moral imperative—and is the only thing that might save these nations.

For more information about Pacific Rising please contact us at info@pacificrising.org www.pacificrising.org

“The sea is rising and so must we.” Anote Tong, President of Kiribati