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Photos courtesy of Humans of Kiribati
Over the years, Peace Corps Volunteers have served in many nations that have endured revolution, war, and social turmoil, but Kiribati may be the first Peace Corps country to simply cease to exist.
Kiribati (Keer-ree-bahss) is a nation composed of 33 coral atoll islands spread over a vast area of the Pacific Ocean. Most of the islands of Kiribati are no more than two meters above sea level. Like many Pacific island nations, Kiribati is severely impacted by climate change and rising sea levels. Though Kiribati may not be completely submerged for another fifty years, the effects of climate change may soon render the islands uninhabitable.
Mike Roman served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kiribati from 2000 to 2002. In this episode of the Posh Corps Podcast, Mike explains the challenges facing his adopted country, and what he's doing to help Kiribati and other Pacific island nations.
To find out more about the projects mentioned in this podcast, check out:
Transcript:
Credits:
Produced and recorded by Alan Toth.
Images: Humans of Kiribati, Raimon Kataotao, Gonna Ketels
Additional Audio Used under a Creative Commons 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0):
The London School of Economics and Politics: In the Front Line of Climate Change
Sources:
Interviews with Mike Roman and Lulu DeBoer
Kenneth R. Weiss: The Making of a Climate Refugee
Joe Lo: Why can’t poor countries access the climate finance they were promised?
Luke Rawalai: Kiribati surveys land