Explore historical and projected climate data, climate data by sector, impacts, key vulnerabilities and what adaptation measures are being taken. Explore the overview for a general context of how climate change is affecting Kiribati.
Kiribati is a nation of 32 coral atolls and one raised limestone island, located in the central Pacific Ocean. The country contains three major island groups: the Gilbert group in the west, the central Phoenix group, and the Line group in the east. These islands have a total land area of 811 km2, and occupy a vast economic exclusion zone of approximately 3.6 million km2. Kiribati’s coral atolls are very low-lying, with a maximum elevation of 3 to 4 meters above sea level (Republic of Kiribati, 2007). The country straddles the equator, with an average annual temperature of 27.5°C. Kiribati had an estimated population of 110,000 in 2015, of which approximately 51% lived on the island of South Tarawa, where the capital Tarawa is located. As of 2018 the country was classified as a Least Developed Country economically and in 2016 over 90% of its exports consisted of fish products (OEC, 2018).
Kiribati is amongst the most vulnerable nations to climate change on Earth. As an extremely isolated and very low-lying island nation Kiribati faces considerable risk from climate variability and sea-level rise. The potential risk of permanent inundation, and land and marine ecosystem degradation link climate change intrinsically with development. Kiribati has ratified the Paris Climate Change Agreement and submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2016. The Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (2014) estimates the cost of climate change adaptation over the period 2014-2023 at around $75 million.
The section provides access to historical climate datasets for both temperature and precipitation from 1900 to 2016.
The section provides access to future climate datasets for both temperature and precipitation and their statistical derivatives for various timeframes and emission scenarios from 2020 to 2099.
The section provides access to future climate datasets for both temperature and precipitation and their statistical derivatives for various timeframes and emission scenarios from 2020 to 2099.
This section contains information from multiple climate indicators and indices relevant for key economic sectors. Simple narratives can help you interpret and extract summaries of potential climate change impacts at the sector level.
Explore furtherThis section allows you to explore the susceptibility of livelihoods and natural systems to impacts from climate variability and change and facilitate the exploration of socioeconomic and development data and its relationships with natural hazards vulnerable areas.
Explore furtherThis section allows you to explore the climate information from multiple climate indicators and present them with simple, embedded interpretation for an informative, high-level summary of the potential for future climate change impacts on key socioeconomic sectors.
Explore furtherThis section helps you grasp key national adaptation policies and reports, explore options for key sectors, and understand current adaptation gaps and needs for enhanced climate smart planning.
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