BNP Paribas : Can the Pacific Islands still be saved from the threats of climate change?

A rural exodus has already begun in the Kiribati archipelago (pronounced 'Kiribas'), and the capital, Tarawa Atoll, is bearing the brunt of a mostly uncontrolled occupation of land linked to accelerated urbanisation. In just a few years, human concentration per km2 has increased from 3,000 to 16,000 - to put this into perspective, Paris has 20,000 inhabitants per km2. 'This scale of human influx into these small, fragile areas is starting to take its toll, especially since populations do not necessarily have the means to protect themselves against rising sea levels.'

The result is the development along the coastline of 'fortifications': drums filled with waste, and uncemented coral chunks, reflecting a lack of financial means and technical knowledge. 'This clearly demonstrates that vulnerability is above all a human concern!', says Magnan who for several years has been observing the transformation of these paradise islands due to climate change. But throwing huge amounts of money into building better seawalls wouldn't make sense: how would their long-term maintenance be ensured without providing training to the local populations and sensitising local government?