3. This is a map of the Pacific Ocean and some of the islands in it. Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) will be among the first islands to be submerged.

4. Global warming is a big problem all over the world. Scientists believe that the increase in the earth’s temperature that we are experiencing is mainly due to human activity. Global warming will probably impact Pacific Islands first, because they are built on coral reefs and are usually less than 3m above sea level. Global warming can cause a rise of sea level up to a few feet high. If it continues at this rate many Pacific Islands will soon be totally submerged.

5. Global warming will not only cause ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise, but will also cause many other problems. We are already experiencing some of the effects of global warming: A warmer Earth would cause diseases such as malaria and dengue to spread. A change in precipitation patterns – it will cause flooding in some regions and severe droughts in others. This will alter the agricultural ecosystems. The flooding experienced in China and Europe have been the worst in decades. Queensland has suffered from droughts in the recent past. These incidents may be a result of changing climate patterns.

6. The negative effects of Global Warming on Kiribati include: Flooding and coastal erosion. Parts of Kiribati are already inundated at high tide. Houses are falling apart due to erosion by the sea loss of land, infrastructure and agriculture – vegetation will die when salt water mixes with the fresh water that is used for plants. Aquaculture will also be destroyed if global warming continues. Freshwater is already at risk from other types of pollution, sea levels rising will only make things worse. It will become very difficult to find drinking water Eventually, if sea levels rise too much then the entire island may be submerged, and result in the population having to move.

7. Of Kiribati’s 33 islands, Millennium Island is the Eastern most one. It is located just west of the International Dateline, and was the first place to enter the year 2000. Many people were going to Kiribati to be the first to witness the new millennium. Kiribati tried to use this publicity to draw attention to the danger Pacific Islands faced as a result of global warming. A Kiribati spokesperson said that in 25 to 30 years it was possible some of the islands would no longer exist on maps. Despite the desperate pleas of many Pacific Island nations for help, nothing is being done to overcome the problem of global warming.

8. There are two main solutions. The first is to build sea walls around the coast of low lying islands, which will prevent sea water from submerging the islands. The second is to move the population of these islands to safer ground. Building sea walls doesn’t seem to be economically possible. The cost for constructing a sea wall around one Marshall island alone was estimated to be around US$100 million. This amount is more than twice the GDP produced by the island. High tide in Tarawa

9. The second option of resettling people seems to be the only possible one. This will involve moving people to higher, safer ground. Eventually if sea levels rise too much, people from lower, smaller islands will have to be moved to the main island. Naturally, this will be very difficult for the people who have to move. The people living on the islands will have lived there for hundreds of years. Their spiritual beliefs and ancestral backgrounds will be strongly linked to the land. By moving them, much of their culture and tradition may be lost. It would help if developed countries that cause a lot of the global warming problems took some responsibility. They should actively try to lessen their carbon emissions and help nations whose futures’ are at risk.