Kiribati |
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Kiribati |
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Kiribati
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This report was prepared by last updated: 25 February 2002 |
Overview (Geography, Socio-economy, Climate)
Land resources
Water resources (AQUASTAT) 
Plant nutrient resources
Hot spots
Bright spots
Challenges and viewpoints
References / Related internet links |
1. Country overview 1.1 Geography and administrative units 1.3 Climate 1. > top |
1.1 Geography and administrative units Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) lies in the South Pacific Ocean between 1o 25' N and 173o 00' E. It is composed of three island groups; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands and Phoenix Islands with a total land area of approximately 810 km2. There are three main administrative units in Kiribati; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands and Phoenix Islands. There are 6 districts within these administrative units; Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts and Tarawa and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands. [Map 1.1.1: Outline Map] [Table 1.1.2: Administrative Units]
1.1 > 1. Population
The
population in 2000 was estimated to be close to 92,000 with a growth rate of 2.3 percent. Economy Being
a remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national resources. Commercially
viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra
and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated
widely in recent years. The
rate of growth of Real GDP declined from about 3.2% in 1995 to about 2.0% in 1998. Economic
development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and
remoteness from international markets. The
financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the expansion of private sector
initiatives. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical
supplement to GDP, equal in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances
from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Role of Agriculture in Economy Agriculture
employs an estimated 71% of the labor force, and key primary food crops produced are
coconuts and bananas. The
primary meat products are pork and chicken. The
largest agricultural exports (in value terms) in 1997 were mangoes, fish and copra with a
total value of $10.7 million. The
agricultural sector of the economy accounts for almost 14 percent of GDP. Major Food and
Cash Crops Agriculture in Kiribati is largely dependent on copra, bananas, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes and vegetables. Vegetable crops include tomato, cucumber, watermelon, squash, eggplant, Chinese and English cabbage, lettuce, etc. [Table 1.2.1: Kiribati Population] [Table 1.2.2: Kiribati Population Growth] [Table 1.2.3: Kiribati Employment Growth Rate (xls file: 17kb)] 1.2 > 1.
Kiribati
experiences a tropical marine climate moderated by the northeast trade winds.
The islands to the north and south are more tropical.
Mean daily temperatures ranges from 26 degrees to 32oC, with the
recorded highs and lows being 22 and 37 oC respectively. Annual
rainfall is extremely variable, both annually and between islands, with the annual average
in the Gilbert group ranging from about 1000 mm for the drier islands near the equator to
3000 mm for the wetter islands in the far north, and close to 2000 mm at Tarawa.
Rainfall in a good year in the Phoenix Group ranges from 1000 mm to 3000 mm, while
the Line Islands vary from about 700 mm at Kiritimati to more than 4000 mm at Teraina
(Washington Island) some 400 km away in the north. Several prolonged droughts, with as little as 200 mm of rain per year, are common, particularly in the central and Southern Gilbert group, on Banaba, the Phoenix Group and on Kiritimati. Winds
between the north-east and south-east quadrant occur throughout the year and provide some
comfort from the hot sun. During the drier months, from June to November the winds are generally from the south-east, while during the wetter months, from December to May, the winds are from the north and east.
1.3 > 1. |
2. Land resources 2.1 Physiography 2.2 Soils 2.3 Natural hazards 2.4 Environmental
impact of land uses 2. > top |
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An atoll consists of coral debris deposited on the surface of the
reef platform.
Mixed with these are the skeleton of other marine animals and plants and mollusc
shells. 2.1 > 2. Kiribati consists of mostly
low-lying atolls surrounded by extensive reefs. Low
atolls, where the maximum height of the submerged portion is usually less than 5 m, are
essentially reefs of variable thickness resting on volcanic base. Kiribati soils are
derived from coral reefs and consist mainly of calcium and magnesium carbonates (Town,
1982).
Soils tend to be shallow and alkaline. The average soil particle size is extremely
large compared to other igneous derived soils and therefore the soil is highly permeable
with a low water holding capacity. Entisols
are dominant. The
average pH is between 7.8 and 8.3 (Barr, 1993). In Kiribati, soils are deficient
in carbon and nitrogen, potassium, and trace elements, especially iron, manganese, zinc
and copper. The
organic matter in the thin top-soil layer is almost totally responsible for nutrient
recycling and exchange between plants and soil. Compost
and organic material are added to planting holes and/or trenches to lower pH and make
nutrients more available for plant growth. This
is important not only for making primary elements available to plants, but also minor
elements i.e. iron, copper, zinc and manganese (Barr, 1993). 2.2 > 2. Storms and droughts are the two main natural hazards. Salt water contamination of fresh water lenses, increased coastal erosion are some of the frequently occuring hazards. 2.3 > 2. 2.4 Environmental impact of land uses Contamination of ground water resources through human activities and agriculture is, perhaps, one of the most significant effects of land use. This is mainly due to the presence of shallow water tables. 2.4 > 2. |
3. Water Resources 3. > top |
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Fresh
water is a fundamental resource for small island nations. Most development plans are
pivotal on the availability of fresh water. Clean water enhances the
health and productivity of the work force and has particular implications for the children
and the future generations. The availability of water has
been a long-standing problem throughout Kiribati. Natural
sources of permanent potable water are limited to groundwater in freshwater lenses. These freshwater lenses are floating on the
higher-density seawater beneath the atolls. Other
sources of water include hand operated pump wells, roof catchments and galleries. Groundwater resources in Kiribati
are commonly contaminated from human and other solid wastes. This arises from inadequate
use of proper toilet facilities and lack of infrastructure in the sanitation sector. Due to the shallow water
tables, seepage of waste into the fragile groundwater system is a common occurrence in
Kiribati. 3.1 > 3. Irrigation for agricultural production is hardly existent. Research on drip irrigation proved to be unsuccessful. Land is very well drained due to the coarse nature of coralline soils. 3.2 > 3. |
4. Plant nutrient resources 4.1 Plant nutrient use and nutrient balance 4.2 Fertilizer production and costs 4. > top |
4.1 Plant nutrient use and nutrient balance Fertilizer use in Kiribati is extremely low. This is due to leaching of applied nutrients resulting in pollution of water table. Strategies to overcome nutrient related soil problems are mostly through use of compost with minimal amount of fertilizers. 4.1 > 4. 4.2 Fertilizer production and costs N/A 4.2 > 4.
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5. Hot spots 5.0 Overview: constraints to sustainable agriculture 5.3 Plant nutrition-related constraints 5. > top |
There are specific areas within the agricultural resources of Kiribati that pose the greatest challenges towards the practice of sustainable agriculture. The areas identified include problem soils, land degradation, land use issues, water use issues and pollution of the environment.
5.0 > 5. 5.1 Land-related constraints to sustainable agriculture The atoll soils of Kiribati,
possibly the most infertile in the world, are young (3,000 to 4,000 years old), shallow
and alkaline. The high soil pH restrict availability and use of essential plant nutrients. Conventional agriculture, as practiced on larger
Pacific islands, is very problematic due to soil infertility.
Land ownership is customary law. There
are few circumstances, however, under which an owner may dispose of land to other than his
next of kin and these circumstances account for most of the incessant land litigation that
is a marked a feature in the life of Kiribati. The customary inheritance law
whereby each child receives a share of the parents land has led to continuous subdivision
so that some holdings now consist of only three or four coconut trees. As
is to be expected, this form of subdivision is accompanied by the widespread fragmentation
of the holdings of individuals, both on one island and between several islands. The
result is the anomaly that despite such land hunger, the general standard of cultivation
and development is low. The government has tried to control these two problems by encouraging owners to consolidate their holdings by exchange or leasing, and by advising lands courts when distributing estates to avoid the customary practice of subdividing every plot of land and instead to share the plots between the next of kin. 5.1 > 5. 5.2 Water-related constraints to sustainable agriculture Apart from a number of landlocked salt-water lagoons there are almost no surface fresh water resources on Kiribati. The only permanent fresh-water resource is groundwater in the form of a lens of often slightly brackish fresh water. 5.2 > 5. 5.3 Plant nutrition-related constraints to sustainable agriculture Due to the very fragile nature of the environment, use of fertilizers is minimal and as such agricultural production increases cannot be achieved through fertilizer usage.
5.3 > 5. 5.4 Other constraints to sustainable agriculture Global
climate variability may be responsible for increasingly more-severe storms, interspersed
with scorching droughts.
The impact of this variable climate has been harsh on the ecosystems and coastal,
terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
Economically, the impact has translated into decreased agricultural yield, death of
livestock, and decrease and loss of marine biodiversity.
This has caused loss of revenue that can have detrimental effects on the social and
economic systems of Small Island Developing States like Kiribati.
As the majority of the people dependent on these sources of income are poor, the
poverty implications of variable climate are high. Some
of the potential effects of climate variability include an increase in the frequency of
tropical cyclones.
Even though Kiribati lies outside the normal cyclone belts to the north and south
of the equator, the effect of distant storms and cyclones can sometimes be felt in the
northernmost and southernmost islands. Other effects of variable climate comprise the inundation of low-lying atolls, saltwater contamination of freshwater lenses, increased coastal erosion and the loss of already limited and valuable land. While the actual impact of climate change at the local level has not been assessed, the issue of global warming and sea-level change and its possible impact on the environment is of critical concern to the government and people of Kiribati. 5.4 > 5.
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6. Bright spots 6.0 Overview: society's response to ameliorate the situation 6.1 Land-related response indicators 6.2 Water-related response indicators 6.3 Plant nutrition-related response indicators 6. > top |
| 6.0 Overview: society's response to ameliorate the situation Many of Kiribati’s main environmental problems stem from
congested conditions on South Tarawa: in particular, the dense human settlement, poor land
use planning, and overtaxed water, sewerage, and waste disposal systems.
Land shortage is becoming more acute, particularly on South Tarawa, as the
population grows. There is a need to increase Tarawa's capacity to accommodate more people
through better land-use and environmentally sustainable development. If resource and land management does not improve, population growth will worsen the present problems of housing congestion, declining public health, inadequate water supply, poor waste management and environmental degradation. 6.0 > 6. 6.1 Land-related response indicators The main problems in recent times, apart from land ownership, have centered on the adequate supply of development land in urban Tarawa, which the government is seeking to provide under leasing arrangements. In 1983 a land leasing system was initiated on Kiritimati. 6.1 > 6. 6.2 Water-related response indicators N/A 6.2 > 6. 6.3 Plant nutrition-related response indicators In Kiribati work has also been started and is continuing on an integrated plant nutrition approach to optimize effective and efficient use of resources while protecting the environment. This includes agroforestry technologies, using legume trees in fallow where practical. Soil building through the addition of organic matter and compost are being promoted for the creation of vegetable gardens. 6.3 > 6. N/A 6.4 > 6. |
7. Challenges and viewpoints
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| Water is an important resource for agriculture
production Kiribati almost always faces a continuing water scarcity. In addition
prolonged drought can underscore the importance of improved water management practices and
long-term drought mitigation measures. Even though drip irrigation has not proved to
be very successful in Kiribati further works still needs to be carried out to effectively
manage water resources. Sea level
rise, high population density and growth together with coastal erosion and lagoon
pollution will need serious thoughts and action in the very near future. 7. > top
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8. References 8.1 References 8. > top |
Barr, J.J.F. Technical report on coconut research in Kiribati 1990-1992. Tarawa (Kiribati) Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Development. 1993. Town, R.T. Constraints to agricultural development on coral atolls and reef islands: with particular reference to the Kiribati (Gilbert) Islands. Dissertation. 1982. 8.1 > 8. Country in General www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kr.html
8.2 > 8.
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