Kiribati side event at COP15 - Our road to Copenhagen
On Wednesday the 9th of December, the delegation from Kiribati to COP15 held a very successful side event.
Agenda
- Opening video message from H.E. the President of Kiribati, Mr Anote Tong
- Video “A Call to the World”
- Betarim Rimon, Office of Te Beretitenti
- Riibeta Abeta, Ministry of Environment
- Michael Foon, Ministry of Environment
- Maria Timon, Edmund Rice Center
- Robert Kay, Coastal Zone Management Pty
- Tessie Eria Lambourne, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Video "Song of the Frigate"
- Questions and answers
View full UNFCCC webcast here, or individual presentations below.
A video containing a message to the international community from President Anote Tong was shown, followed by the video cli, "A Call to the World."
Betarim Rimon, of the Office of Te Beretitenti, made some opening remarks and introduced the panel of speakers from the Kiribati delegation. (Read the full text here: 
)
Riibeta Abeta, of the Ministry of Environment then delivered a presentation entitled: Kiribati in the Frontline of Climate Change: Our Vulnerability.
Michael Foon, also from the Ministry of the Environment explained what Kiribati is doing about dealing with climate change with his presentation: Coping with Vulnerability: First Practical Steps.
Maria Timon, of the Edmund Rice Center, performed a traditional dance from Kiribati, which was warmly received by the audience.
Dr Robert Kay, of Coastal Zone Management Pty, described the scientific research relating to climate change that has been carried out in Kiribati, presented the findings and described how this data will be useful to Kiribati in terms of dealing with climate change. His presentation is entitled Sea level Rise Risk: South Tarawa Vulnerability.
Dr Kay closed his presentation with an animation that illustrated the projected effects of climate change on Tarawa over the coming century.
Mrs. Tessie Eria Lambourne, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke eloquently and passionately about Kiribati's plans for the future for dealing with climate change and its effects. She underlined the desire of I-Kiribati to remain in their homeland, as well as the need to think pragmatically and explore all of the available options, but that whatever happened that Kiribati sought solutions with dignity.
The frigate bird is our national totem, as you can also see on our national flag. The bird portrays our way of life as people - surrounded by the sea. It shows our intimate relationship with the ocean…and our reliance on it to sustain our livelihood and economy as a nation and country. Again, if the world does not do anything beyond Copenhagen….our mother…the ocean….will turn into a monster, and that is what we are experiencing right now….
Betarim Rimon read a statement from the people of Kiribati - Our Call to the World - and impressed upon the audience the hopes and needs of Kiribati for assistance from the world, stressing that Kiribati will struggle to win the battle against climate change without help from the international community. (Read the full text here: )
The audience were then free to ask questions of the members of the panel.
Betarim Rimon summed up side event briefly, stating again the hope that the audience would go from the presentation with an understanding of the message from Kiribati. He also thanked the Australian Government and AusAID for funding the side event. Many of the audience stayed afterwards to ask questions and discuss with the members of the delegation and they received a great deal of positive feedback about the event and a lot of empathy with the challenges facing Kiribati.
