Kiribati – a disappearing nation?
I was in Kiribati again earlier this month as part of a Pacific delegation to determine ways that NZ Aid, government, philanthropy and nongovernment organizations can work together to make a difference for the people in that part of the world.
Kiribati is about as far as you can get from most places. Straddling the equator, it comprises 33 atolls and has one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the world, predominantly fished by other nations.
But this trip (my second) wasn’t about business – not in the strictest sense of the word. It was instead about Ideas Shop putting skin in the game to bring together business, philanthropy, government and NGOs to do some tangible good in our Pacific neighbourhood. There are skills that all these sectors bring that are desperately needed in Kiribati.
Now, I wouldn’t dare tell people how to live their lives, but I think New Zealand should be prioritizing the Pacific as a place to pour its effort and ingenuity. It seems Africa is rather more sexy at the moment. But my view is that New Zealand’s backyard doesn’t end at the edge of our own EEZ.
As a country, we have a vested interest in making sure the region is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Kiribati is finding it difficult to tick any of the boxes.
Climate change, remoteness and weak infrastructure is creating a desperate picture.
Kiribati has the highest infant mortality rate in the Pacific, low life expectancy and a high incidence of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. Yes, you read it right – malnutrition.
Tuberculosis rates are also the highest in the Pacific and there are regular outbreaks of dengue fever and occasional cases of leprosy and typhoid.
Many of Kiribati's health trends can be attributed to contamination of water supplies and water shortages, particularly on the main atoll of Tarawa.
The 40,311 residents of South Tarawa are currently drawing on a groundwater supply that can only support half the population. Add to that the saltwater contamination of the water and you have a recipe for sickness and disease.
There is a call to move people off Tarawa. Options around moving them to other atolls are being explored. But those atolls can’t take everyone. And other nations are only going to take in those that are healthy and have some skills.
There also needs to be support for community-led initiatives on Tarawa if Kiribati is going to get out of the hole it is currently in.
Ironically, the week I got back, New Zealanders were rated the most generous people on earth, according to the 2010 World Giving Index. Giving of time, money and in-kind is something we are very good at in this country. It’s something we even beat wealthier countries, such as Germany and Denmark in.
I’m hoping we can direct some of that giving to the Pacific - watch this space!
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Posted by Anna Kominik on Monday 20th Sep 2010
Comments
Kiribati - a nation with a future
Hi Anna, Fabulous to hear that Kiribati's neglected plight is getting some much-needed attention. I've been there several times for work (I work in international development) and it is somewhere that I have fallen in love with. I-Kiribati are amazing people with a rich culture and history, and it is a beautiful country. It is certainly a place where we could walk a little closer alongside our i-Kiribati friends and colleagues to share the best of our mutual knowledge and experience in order to nurture and protect the country into the future. One thing that has always struck me about Kiribati, particularly on South Tarawa (the main island), is the neglected issue of family planning. This is something you don't mention in your post. Kiribati has one of the highest levels in the Pacific of women dying because of problems before, during and after pregnancy, and also a very low use of modern contraceptives (at about 18%). The World Bank estimates that when women can use family planning countries can reduce the number of women dying because of pregnancy problems by up to 40%.As well as this, with the rate of population growth outstripping the ability of the atoll to provide for the people that are already on it, enabling i-Kiribati women to use the contraceptive of their choice is important for environmental sustainability and for the future of the nation.Yet many women in Kiribati have little say about what happens to their bodies, including whether they can use family planning or not. In a recent study, using World Health Organisation methodology, Kiribati showed very high levels of violence against women. In fact, out of all the countries studied globally, it rated the highest with 60% of women experiencing violence at some point in their life. There are plenty of people in Kiribati who are working hard to address these issues and build a better future for their people. And they could do with some NZ support. Not necessarily NZers heading over there to tell them what to do, because over 60 years of aid and development practise globally tells us that this rarely works. But what we do know is that through building good relationships with organisations working on these issues, and sharing our different knowledge and experience, we can come-up with locally-appropriate and locally-led solutions that work in the long-term. Kiribati does have a future but they do need help to realise it.A great resource for more information on the sexual and reproductive situation for women across the Pacific is the Family Planning International publication 'A Measure of the Future'. Check it out here: http://www.fpi.org.nz/Resources/BriefingsandReports.aspx#Measure And it is worth mentioning that this organisation is one of those NZ NGOs that is doing great stuff to make a difference in the Pacific.I wish you well in your endeavours to work with i-Kiribati to expand their well-being. I look forward to the next post.Candy