Facing rising seas:
How Kiribati’s Youth Inspire Coastal Protection
Kiribati, a small island nation only a few meters above the Pacific Ocean, faces a serious crisis. As sea levels continue to rise, the land that has been home to generations of Kiribati people is slowly being swallowed by the sea. Many have already had to leave behind their homes and the cultural heritage deeply tied to their land. By the year 2100, the entire country might have become uninhabitable. The situation is urgent: without decisive global action, Kiribati might disappear beneath the ocean.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Kiribati are especially vulnerable to climate change. Their isolation, limited land, and low elevation make them particularly at risk as sea levels rise. Kiribati’s economy, which depends on fishing and tourism, is fragile, making the country even more vulnerable. These factors—geographic isolation, economic dependence, and environmental threats—put SIDS like Kiribati on the frontlines of the climate crisis, where the stakes are existential.
Inspired by a video reporting course by Worldview International Foundation (WIF), a group of young climate activists in Kiribati went beyond expectations, leading grassroots efforts to protect their coastal ecosystems, a critical defense against the encroaching sea.
Training for climate advocacy: the mobile video reporting course
In early 2024, the Worldview International Foundation (WIF) and the South Tarawa Rotary Club launched a pilot program called the Mobile Phone Video Reporting Course. This course was designed to empower young climate activists in Kiribati. Developed by Pongtada Suriya of WIF, the program aimed to equip these young people with the skills they need to fight climate change by raising local awareness and bringing global attention to Kiribati’s environmental challenges. Ruth Cross Kwansing, the President of the South Tarawa Rotary Club, was instrumental in promoting the course on social media and organizing its rollout, which attracted 242 applicants. In the end, 12 young people were selected to participate.
The course combined storytelling, technical skills, and education about the importance of mangrove ecosystems. Participants learned how to create compelling narratives that brought attention to urgent issues like coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. They also received hands-on training in video production, learning how to shoot, edit, and produce content using just their mobile phones. Additionally, the course included lessons on how mangroves protect coasts and mitigate climate change, along with training on mangrove restoration.
The goal was to give these young activists the tools they needed to document the environmental threats to their communities and inspire action both locally and globally.
Youth-led mangrove restoration: surpassing expectations
After completing the course, the graduates were invited by Ruth Cross to join the Rotaract Youth Club, a junior branch of Rotary International, to continue their environmental work. Among these graduates was Miriam Moriati Koae, the leader of the club, who plans to launch social and livelihood projects with her team in Kiribati.
But these young people didn’t stop there. Recognizing the urgent need for action, Koae and her peers started a voluntary mangrove planting project. Koae’s leadership led her to the Environment and Conservation Division (ECD), where she secured support from four officers from the Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Agricultural Development (MELAD) to help the Rotary Youth Club with this ambitious project.
The first step in the mangrove restoration project involved collecting propagules, or mangrove seeds. The team gathered 2,495 ripe seeds from the Tanaea community area near the Coastal Fisheries Office. They experimented with different storage methods, keeping some seeds at Koae’s home and others at the MELAD Office to see how storage affected their growth. Just a week later, on August 9th, the youth team and MELAD officers planted 1,747 mangrove trees along the shoreline of Tobwaan te Tongo Park in the Bonriki Area of South Tarawa.
This initiative shows the Rotaract Youth Club’s commitment to addressing their communities’ environmental challenges. Koae’s leadership in organizing the project, securing government support, and experimenting with different methods to ensure the project’s success demonstrates maturity, responsibility, and innovation beyond expectations. Education, when paired with initiative, can empower young people to become leaders and make a real impact on their environment.
Lessons from Kiribati’s youth
Kiribati’s youth-led mangrove planting project highlights the transformative power of education and resources. With the right tools and knowledge, these young people were empowered to raise their voices and mobilize broader efforts within their community. This initiative shows how education can inspire action, giving a sense of agency and responsibility to those who might otherwise feel powerless in the face of global challenges. It underscores the importance of providing vulnerable communities with the resources and education they need to take collective action.
However, their efforts alone are not enough. The international community has a profound responsibility in this fight. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have shown incredible leadership in addressing climate change, setting ambitious goals for renewable energy and sustainability. These nations have exceeded expectations, significantly increasing their renewable energy capacity and committing to the Paris Agreement’s goals. However, for these efforts to have a lasting impact, the global community must support SIDS and adopt the same level of urgency and commitment to tackling climate change within their own borders.
“Today, we need your fierce voices more than ever”
the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Small Island Developing States, 2024
With the support of WIF and the South Tarawa Rotary Club, the youth of Kiribati took action to address the environmental challenges facing their communities. Driven by a sense of responsibility, they showed leadership by launching their own mangrove restoration project. They only needed a few resources to amplify their voices.
The international community should listen to the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who face the harshest impacts of a climate crisis they did not cause. Global leaders have a responsibility not only to recognize these efforts but also to take similarly bold steps within their own countries.
If a small group of young people can mobilize and make tangible progress, surely the international community, with far greater resources, can do the same. The time for global solidarity is now—because the future of SIDS, and indeed the planet, depends on our collective action.
