Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Kiribati

STORMY TIMES: CYCLONES Tropical cyclones pose direct threats to Kiribati, its people and its marine life. Marine and coastal hab- itats including mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs play an important role in offering effective pro- tection and therefore need to be sustainably managed and conserved.

Kiribati’s geographical location in the central Pacific puts it a safe distance from the cyclone and hurricane belts. Despite this, Kiribati is still susceptible to occasional spill- over effects of category 5 cyclones. In 2005, as Tropical Cyclone Pam strengthened in her path around Vanuatu, flooding and storm surge destroyed homes in Kiribati’s south- ern islands, such as Arorae, Tamana and some parts of the main capital, Tarawa. The government spent significant sums on mon- ey, including donations from development partners, to aid recovery efforts following this event. In the past decade, there has been increasing attention on the relationship between climate change and the frequency and intensity of cyclones in the region. Diamond et al. (2013) found a statistically significant increase in the number and intensity of cyclones in the 1991–2010 period compared with the 1970–1990 period. Rising SSTs are fuelling cyclones (see also chapters “Hotter and high- er”) that are resulting in increasing damage, including to Kiribati’s valuable coastal habi- tats and infrastructure (see small map). At the same time, conserving habitats such as coral reefs and mangroves offers a very effective form of protection against storms.

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR KIRIBATI

CLIMATE CHANGE THREATS

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