From 29 August – 15 September, a DS team visited both Kiribati and Tuvalu as a follow-up of the 2010 mission to the Pacific. As low-lying island nations, both Kiribati and Tuvalu are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the citizens of these countries are at risk of losing houses, lands and livelihoods unless pro-active, rights-based solutions are pursued. During their time in these countries, the DS team engaged with numerous politicians, UN officials, civil society actors and local people in discussions on the particular housing, land and property rights issues at play, as well as investigating the human rights dimension of the climate displacement threat. Over the course of the mission, a short film, an article and two photo booklets were produced to document and assess the crisis that is unfolding in the Pacific, and these will soon be made available through the Displacement Solutions website.
Kiribati – The sea wall protecting the airport built under KAP II
I-Kiribati gather at the airport to watch the first visit of a UN Secretary General to Kiribati
Kiribati – Matthew’s land is now frequently inundated due to rising seas
DS Director, Scott Leckie, being filmed as he speaks about the situation facing Kiribati
Tuvalu – A house over one of the borrow pits
Tuvalu – The Taiwanese Friendship Garden encourages Tuvaluan’s to create their own vegetable gardens
One of the few sea walls in Tuvalu
An aerial view of Funafuti atoll, Tuvalu, reveals how narrow the land is