Kiribati, covering a total land area of 811 square kilometers (sq km) in the central Pacific Ocean, comprises 32 coral atolls and one raised limestone island. An extremely isolated and low-lying island nation, Kiribati faces considerable risk from climate variability and sea-level rises. Frequent marine heat waves could destroy marine ecosystems in the region, while the interaction of climate change with the cyclone hazard puts the country at risk of sea-level rises caused by cyclone-induced storm surges.
INVESTING IN KIRIBATI
CIF’s investment in Kiribati is through its Scaling up Renewable Energy Program (SREP). Kiribati's SREP investment plan is focused on increasing the use of biofuels and coconut oil (CNO) in the power and transport sectors to replace imported diesel fuel. It will help to establish fuel standards and a testing facility for CNO-based biofuel. Another objective will be to support mobile copra mills to reduce the cost of transporting coconuts from plantations. The plan also envisions the procurement of an electric power-generation set (genset) designed for use with CNO for baseload generation on the islands of Tarawa and Kiritimati.
Through the CIFTechnical Assistance Facility, approximately $500,000 was programmed for technical assistance activities in 2021. The programs covered an array of activites to support climate adaptation, through helping develop regional climate-resilient pathways in the aftermath of Covid-19.
