There has been a flurry of activity in South Tarawa, Kiribati, as the ICLEI-CLGF-KiLGA team brings its three-year Blue Green Development Project to a close. This project, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Government, has featured close cooperation with communities selected from the two urban councils in Kiribati – Betio and Teinainano. Project highlights include a successful Town Hall COP held in the traditional Maneaba meeting building, piloting of small-scale biochar ovens, a home gardening competition, engagement with Tuvalu women on sea grape harvesting, enabling multilevel governance and collaboration, and much more.
The entire project has been focused through the lens of women, the primary managers of households, food procurement, and family well-being. This focus acknowledges their crucial role in both food security and community resilience.
Kiribati is at the front line of climate change threats. Tidal flooding and windstorms are increasingly severe and frequent, with precious trees being wiped out, houses destroyed, and gardens ruined by overland seawater and saline intrusion in their groundwater. A high priority has therefore been to trial new ways of growing food crops using above-ground garden beds, biochar, and seaweed mulch to enrich the saline soils. In parallel, a number of initiatives to reduce household garbage and convert waste to energy and compost have been explored.
As the project concludes, a final celebratory event is scheduled for 28 November. This event will not only celebrate the successful outcomes of the project and award prizes to households, but will also be crucial for sharing the project’s comprehensive learnings with national stakeholders. One of the Blue Green Development Project’s core aims was to provide a sustainable model that can be adopted by the other atoll nations in the Pacific. Given that many face the same existential climate threats, the success of the Blue Green Development Project offers a powerful, practical blueprint for enhanced resilience in the region.
