Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management (KJIP).

Kiribati is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and disasters. Its vulnerability is principally due to geological and physical features as well as inherent socio-economic characteristics. Climate change and disasters can have serious adverse impacts on the environment, the people of Kiribati and their livelihoods. According to climate change projections, these impacts will intensify over time. The Government has therefore considered measures to cope with these impacts as high priorities in its National Development Plan 2012–2015. Climate change and disaster risks are being addressed in policies and strategies relating to population, water and sanitation, health and environment, and are progressively being incorporated into policies and strategies relating to fisheries, agriculture, labour, youth and education. However, only a few sectors have transferred strategic actions to address climate and disaster risks into their annual Sector Operational Plans and Ministerial Plans of Operations and budgeting.
The KJIP identifies the following twelve major strategies: 1. strengthening good governance, policies, strategies and legislation; 2. improving knowledge and information generation, management and sharing; 3. strengthening and greening the private sector, including small-scale business; 4. increasing water and food security with integrated and sector-specific approaches and promoting healthy and resilient ecosystems; 5. strengthening health service delivery to address climate change impacts; 6. promoting sound and reliable infrastructure development and land management; 7. delivering appropriate education, training and awareness programs; 8. increasing effectiveness and efficiency of early warnings and disaster and emergency management; 9. promoting the use of sustainable, renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency; 10. strengthening capacity to access finance, monitor expenditures and maintain strong partnerships; 11. maintaining the existing sovereignty and unique identity of Kiribati; and 12. enhancing the participation and resilience of vulnerable groups.
In the long-term, the most serious concern is that sea-level rise will threaten the very existence of Kiribati as a nation. But in the short to medium term, a number of other projected impacts are of immediate concern. Of particular note is the question as to whether the water supply and food production systems can continue to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing population of Kiribati (GoK 2013). Climate variability, climate change and disaster risks, in combination with the factors that make Kiribati particularly vulnerable to them, are affecting the environment and all socio-economic sectors, including agriculture, education, fisheries, freshwater, health, infrastructure, trade and commerce. For an overview of sector-specific sensitivities and existing and potential future impacts in relation to climate change and disaster risks, see Tables 6 to 13.