Public health and climate change in the republic of kiribati

5.0 Conclusion

Public health is an applied discipline which requires practitioners to focus on both the reduction of illness and social inequalities which increase negative public health conditions.

Disease proliferates in communities lacking adequate housing, food, sewage, waste disposal, drainage and clean water. With such basic needs unmet, members of these communities are vulnerable to air- and water-borne diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, dengue fever, diarrhea, infectious hepatitis, and malaria to name but a few (Kim, Mullen, Irwin, et al., 2000:3).

Social and economic inequalities substantially increase the number of negative health consequences and outcomes amongst disadvantaged populations by placing them at greater risks. Climate change has the ability to magnify these inequalities even further (McMichael & Beaglehole, 2000). The Earth’s climate is changing dramatically necessitating, a robust public health response.

Climate change represents an intriguing twist in the long tale of human evolution. Various aspects of our species’ biology were shaped by the environmental challenges posed by natural fluctuations of the Earth over hundreds of millennia. Today, our expanding population and intensified economic activity are overloading the Earth’s capacity to support modern lifestyles. Our human health faces challenges from a warming planet. We will have much less time to react to the challenges posed by climate change, necessitating a socio-political response as opposed to any kind of human species biological advancement (McMichael, 2009:13).

In meeting this challenge, public health practitioners are charged with the ever-increasingly important role of developing health-promoting and health-sustaining environments for our domestic and global populations.

In Kiribati, adaptation strategies (sea wall construction, inland migration, and land reclamation) have failed to produce sustainable living environments for atoll dwellers. Stronger, more frequent storms aided by rising sea levels justify transnational migration and the growing I-Kiribati expat communities around the world. Today, despite being faithful Christians, many I-Kiribati living abroad see climate change as something impossible to adapt to. An I-Kiribati living in New Zealand states, I’m afraid of the sea level, that’s the one thing, but we are safe here with my family now in New Zealand (NInterview.08.1, 2008). New Zealand has the largest concentration of I-Kiribati living outside of Kiribati today. In 1991, fewer than 300 I-Kiribati resided in New Zealand. In 2006, there were 1,116 I-Kiribati living in New Zealand. Today there are well over 1,600 living in New Zealand (Statistics New Zealand, 2006).

As time progresses and the ecological landscape of Kiribati becomes more unstable, larger numbers of I-Kiribati will seek safer environments elsewhere. Recently an I-Kiribati man made global headlines seeking ‘environmental refugee’ status in New Zealand. The story covering this incident stated:

New Zealand immigration authorities have just refused refugee status to a man from the drowning island country of Kiribati. The 36-year-old man sought refuge in New Zealand from climate change related harm, saying on his application that he fears for his children's future on the coral atolls of Kiribati, which are elevated just slightly above sea level. The I-Kiribati man has been in New Zealand since 2004. His visa expired recently, so he sought a more permanent solution to his sense of homelessness (Meakins, 2012:1).

East Timor is the first and only nation to open its doors to I-Kiribati citizens seeking life elsewhere due to climate change impacts. In a 2012 interview, President Tong stated that his country was not discounting the possibility of having to relocate his people to other nations for their own survival: “I’m very happy to say that a number of Pacific countries have come forward [with their support]. East Timor has made a concrete offer [to take in Kiribati citizens] and we’ve yet to discuss that in more detail” (Smith, 2012: 1).

The Marshall Islands, Kiribati’s closest geographic and ecologically similar neighbor, also face severe consequences from climate change. However, unlike Kiribati, it has formal ties to the United States through a Treaty of Free Association which allows Marshallese citizens to migrate freely to the United States. Kiribati’s nearest southern neighbor is the nation of Tuvalu. Like Kiribati, Tuvalu is entirely composed of coral atolls. Tokelau, a nation facing similar consequences from climate change, is comprised of three coral atolls. Like the Marshall Islands, Tokelau is the territory of a much larger nation. Tokelauan citizens have the ability to reside in New Zealand. In 2006, more than half of Tokelau’s 10,000 population resided in New Zealand’s north island (Statistics New Zealand Tatauranga Aotearoa, 2006).

While there is little doubt that climate change will have a major impact on human health migration and displacement, questions still remain as to what will other nations do to help those greatest impacted by Climate Change. Will households rely on migration as the one and only adaptation strategy and if so, how will human rights and health of individuals crossing international borders because of climate change be upheld? The fate of Kiribati largely rests in the hands of non I-Kiribati citizens. If the environment continues to drastically change, as it seems it will, the population’s state of health will be even more at risk. As more nations suffer, will the global community take note and act, or continue on with business as usual? Kiribati is our canary in the coal mine and they are warning us of what is to come. President Tong clearly understands this and sees his country as a warning that the rest of world should heed.

This, climate change, is the biggest moral test to humanity, we are gone but who will be next?
-Hon. Anote Tong

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