GEA2000: World Regional Geography Assignment 6 Sink or Swim: Sea Level Rise in the South Pacific
Whether anthropogenic or natural, global climate change is an increasingly important issue that has severe consequences across the world. One of the consequences of the current warming trend in global climate change is sea level rise. With sea levels predicted to rise by 24 inches by 2100, coastlines around the world, particularly in the South Pacific, are being threatened with inundation.
For this assignment, you are going to become familiar with the country of Kiribati (pronounced Kir-ee-bas). The country is made up of small islands scattered across the equatorial Pacific Ocean and will be the first country to disappear because of sea level rise. You will analyze climate reports and government policies, and collect demographic data to make informed decisions about potential outcomes for the I-Kiribati (the name given to people from Kiribati). Please answer all questions in a new word document or pdf (any other file type will receive 0) and submit them to Canvas.
Your first goal for assignment 6 is to find some basic demographic and environmental information regarding Kiribati. Please consider sources other than Wikipedia. The CIA and US State Departments also have comprehensive overviews of countries around the world. Additionally, most governments have official websites that provide you with information concerning demographics and environmental policies. Also consider regional news sources from Australia and New Zealand, or global sources that have regional sections, such as BBC or al Jazeera. Fill in Figure 1 with your findings.
Figure 1. Demographic and Environmental Information for Kiribati
Total population
Largest city
Former colonial powers
East-West Distance (How wide is Kiribati)
Approximately how many islands in Kiribati
What type of islands make up Kiribati
Average elevation at Tarawa
You are going to start your analysis of sea level rise in Kiribati by visiting https://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Kiribati.html to learn more about the culture present on the islands. While you are reading through the article, try to remember things you find interesting about the culture. Answer the following question with no more than two or three sentences.
Describe the role of the maneaba (a quick way to search the webpage is to press ctrl + f and type the term into the search bar that appears). Look at the bubuti system and describe it (you may need to search Google for more information)
Okay, now that you know a little bit about this country, let’s take a look at what is happening in terms of climate change reports and government reactions. Please read the climate report available on Canvas and explore the government policies (there are many headings with dropdown bars that have useful information) at http://www.climate.gov.ki/changing-climate/ (in many cases, the figures don’t load. There is a pdf on Canvas with the figures) and answer the following questions with no more than five sentences.
Identify the two causes of sea level rise that were mentioned in the climate change report and describe how acidification of the Pacific Ocean is problematic for Kiribati.
The report gives sea level rise outcomes based on three emissions scenarios (page 7). Report the level of sea level rise for each scenario in the year 2090. Does this number surprise you? Tell me why or why not.
According the former government of Kiribati, what was their plan of last resort?
You have reviewed the climate change report and examined the government’s response, so it’s time to make some judgement calls based on all of the information you’ve found so far.
Look back at question 4 and think about what this extreme plan would have meant for the I-Kiribati. Identify at least two significant outcomes associated with this plan and describe them. Hint: the demographic and environmental data you collected, as well as information from the cultural website, may be useful here.
Throughout the developing world, we have encountered exploitative relationships between countries and former colonial powers. Do you think the former colonial powers have an obligation to help Kiribati? Justify your response.
Finally, I have a friend who argues that “those small Pacific islands” don’t matter in the big picture and that their cultures are not a significant loss to humanity. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my friend? Defend yourself.