Kiribati and Climate Change

What are the issues? What is being done about the issue?

Kiribati is a nation. Kiribati is a coral atoll consisting of 33 islands. Around 100,000 people live there.

The issues:

·         A lot of people in a small space

·         Rising sea levels

·         About 400m wide

·         The average height above sea level is less than 2m

·         The governor is thinking that Kiribati may be the first country to fall victim to climate change, underwater by 2030

·          Global warming is thought to be causing this

·         The crops are hard to grow because of the salt in the ground

·         The storms they get are getting wilder and ruining the island

·         Lack of water is a problem there

·         Storm surges, drought and erosion are three major causes of environmental impact

Things being done:

·         The Government is educating people in Navy Training

·         Australian Government has funded for nurse training

Tackling Tuberculosis

·         300/1000 people on Kiribati with tuberculosis

·         World Health Organisation says that it is an issue if they have 25 people

·         It is spread through coughing.

·         Average number of people in each household is 13

·         4 specialist nurses to go out and help people

·         The nurses are funded by the Australian Governments Aid.

·         They isolate people with tuberculosis for up to 2 months before being transferred to a hospital.

·         Australia is also funding the build of a lab and pharmacy.

·         They are aiming to reduce the numbers by 30%

Kiribati Australian Initiatives

·         Griffith University in Brisbane is where the nurses get their degree

·         Get education so if they need to immigrate they have more chance.

·         Nurses are trained the most because they are needed more world wide.

What is the Cycle of Poverty?

The cycle of poverty has been described as a phenomenon where poor families trapped in poverty for generations because they have no or limited access to critical resources, such as:

           ·          Education

           ·          Financial services,

Subsequent generations are also impoverished.

There are multiple cycles of poverty-based on, among other things,

           ·          Economic,

           ·          Social,

           ·          Spiritual and

           ·          Geographical factors

Many cycles overlap or perpetuate new cycles and therefore any attempt to depict the cycle of poverty will be far more simplistic than realistic.

The Figure below shows-in very simplistic terms- how a cycle of poverty related to hunger keeps a person or household poor in one of the world’s developing countries.

8+ Goals

In September 2000, Koffi Annan, former General Secretary of the United Nations, suggested that we could do something to end world poverty worldwide. 189 countries met in New York City and agreed that by September 2015, we can acheive 8 goals towards ending global poverty. The 8 goals are:

• Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
• Acheive universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat diseases HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development