I read in one web site it said, Kiribati due to present conditions will have to be evacuated by 2050.
Why?
WAG: Global warming will raise ocean levels to the point that a low-lying nation like Kirabati will be entirely underwater. This is allegedly happening to Tuvalu even quicker, although whether its deterioration is due to rising sea levels or overuse of its own topsoil is a matter of debate.
This web page says:
Countries at risk of being totally swamped by rising ocean levels:
Kiribati, Marchall Islands, Tuvalu (Pacific Ocean)
Maldives (Indian Ocean)
Countries losing part of their territory:
Tongo, Palau, Nauru, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, other island countries
Other people affected:
150 million refugees forecast by 2050 according to a 1993 academic study in BioScience.
Is that a IF or a WHEN. This web site said it like it was a matter of fact.
If so, what is being done. I couldn’t find anything on sites saying what their governments are doing to prepare.
Tuvalu having “topsoil” may be a matter of debate - Tuvalu’s highest point is 15 feet, and it consists entirely of coral atolls. One concern is beach erosion due to the use of sand as building material.
Tuvalu has been negotiating with Australia, New Zealand and the UK to take in their citizens if their nation winds up underwater. Tuvalu has been flogging their “.tv” domain and “900” area code to gain revenue. It’s amusing to contemplate that “.tv” websites could conceivably outlast the geographical area the domain is attached to. The CIA factbook claims they signed a contract yielding $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years. They also have a well managed trust fund which yields considerable income to the government. With only 11,000 people to relocate, it would seem they could buy their way.
I just had to open this thread because my brother-in-law was born on Kiribati. Without the benefit of a doctor or nurse, I might add, because in out-of-the-way places, they don’t work at night.
There was a native janitor there, though.