Kiribati people getting ready for "migration with dignity"

Transcript

People in Kiribati are upskilling and preparing for the time when they might have to move because of the effects of climate change.

The low-lying country is preparing for what it terms "migration with dignity" because of the rising seas, king tides and storm surges which are threatening homes and inundating water supplies.

Claire Anterea is a community engagement expert with the Kiribati government and an environmental campaigner with the group  350.Org.

She told Sally Round lots of young Kiribati people are getting trained up so  they have skills to offer other countries.

CLAIRE ANTEREA: If we come to the stage that we are forced to move away from our country then we have to be people with dignity. And that's why we don't want to use (the word) refugees. We want to move with dignity and also we need to contribute to the new home you know. We don't want to be a burden.

SALLY ROUND: So what about the skills though? Are you able to get those skills in Kiribati?

CA: Yes, the government now runs the programme at Kiribati Institute of Technology - upskilling our young men through carpentry, trades, plumbing - all those kind of skills that are recognised in this kind of society. Nursing, accountants - lots of those kind of skills that our young are now fighting to get.

SR: What is it like to live on Kiribati on a day to day basis when you're confronted with these king tides and intense heat as well?

CA: Well as you know, we're only about two metres above sea level and living with all the water, you know, the sea is our mother. You know we get our food from the sea, we play...but now we're experiencing and the people themselves kind of wake up because lots of families their homes are destroyed. Because we don't have that kind of resource. They work hard to build their sea walls and then it falls down again and then the next tide, the radio announces, be cautious of this and it's kind of become a burden to us now. But the people are so happy, even though it's a burden but they try hard to make their lives possible.

SR: Do they feel a sense of fear, a sense of panic all?

CA: Yes, before we never get all those alerts and recently people ... I have a few families come and borrow my shovel and my bags if I have sacks "do you have any spare sacks because we need to, the king tide is tomorrow and we are worried that the king tide will take away our place". So it's a matter of working hard and sharing.