Surroundings in Kiribati

Kiribati consists of 32 atolls and one raised coral island across three island groups. It has about 811 square kilometres of land and an exclusive economic zone of about 3.5 million square kilometres. Most inhabited land lies less than three metres above mean sea level, and many settlements occupy narrow, changing strips between the ocean and lagoon. South Tarawa forms an urban corridor through places including Betio, Bairiki, Bikenibeu and Buota. It faces high density, overcrowding and greater pressure on roads, causeways, ports, airfields, power, telecommunications, water and sanitation than most outer islands. Outer-island services usually have lower depth and depend more on island councils, communities and individual projects. Three urban councils and 20 island councils make up 23 councils. The Local Government Division supports them, while the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy has responsibilities through bodies such as its Civil Engineering Department and Water and Sanitation Engineering Division. The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development handles land planning, environmental protection and waste matters through specialised sections. The Public Utilities Board provides power, water and sewerage in its designated South Tarawa service area. These responsibilities do not create one nationwide surroundings office, and the responsible body depends on the island, council, service and project. Land-use, development, foreshore, seawall, reclamation and platform proposals can involve the Land Planning and Development Section and Central or Local Land Planning Boards. The Environment Act 2021 provides for environmental impact assessment, which examines likely environmental effects before a relevant project proceeds. It also provides for public opinion and an Environment License with conditions. Seawalls and causeways therefore require environmental review where the law applies. A hard coastal structure can protect one shore while shifting erosion elsewhere, so protection, accommodation, land raising, setbacks and possible relocation involve different costs and risks. Relocation or mobility can be an adaptation option, but it does not create an automatic entitlement. Freshwater lenses are underground bodies of freshwater held in coral islands. Kiribati uses these lenses, boreholes, rainwater harvesting and storage tanks, desalination and other project-based systems. South Tarawa's freshwater lenses are vulnerable to salinisation, excessive abstraction, drought, flooding and contamination from waste or sewage. The Bonriki and Buota reserves are protected and managed. The McKenzie desalination plant was commissioned on 14 April 2025 with a capacity of 2,500 cubic metres per day. A Betio plant planned for 3,500 cubic metres per day has faced commissioning delays, with a current target of 2028. Outer islands also have solar reticulation and desalination projects, but connection requirements, fees, repair arrangements and service uptime differ by island and project. South Tarawa has used septic tanks, pits, communal systems and PUB sewerage. Sewerage serves major villages, while the South Tarawa Sanitation Project supports communal toilets, faecal-sludge and sewerage improvements and water, sanitation and hygiene awareness. Outer-island sanitation access is more fragmented, and no uniform household connection, fee or service timetable has been established nationwide. Poor sanitation can contaminate groundwater and increase waterborne-disease risks. The Environment and Conservation Division and its Chemical and Waste Management Unit address solid and hazardous waste, pollution monitoring and enforcement. The Kiribati Waste Management Resource Recovery Strategy 2020–2029 guides this work. Collection and disposal capacity, litter, plastics, marine debris and waste burning remain practical concerns, especially around South Tarawa. Outer-island recovery and collection are often council-, community- or project-led, and universal recycling access or a uniform fee has not been verified. Traffic, generators, construction, dust, waste burning and port or marine activity can affect air quality and noise. Kiribati does not have a robust nationwide ambient air or noise monitoring baseline or a confirmed German-style neighbourhood complaint authority. Terrestrial open space is limited, but coastal vegetation, mangroves, home and community gardens, lagoons and ocean areas provide shade, recreation, flood buffering and places for everyday use. Protected areas are managed through the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, including the Phoenix Islands Protected Area and other marine or conservation areas. Local communities and island councils also support customary or community stewardship. Biodiversity questions belong primarily to nature protection; access, safety and everyday use belong here when they affect the surroundings. Coastal flooding, erosion, king tides, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, drought, sea-level rise, ocean warming and ocean acidification affect daily safety and infrastructure. The National Disaster Act, the National Disaster Risk Management Plan and the Kiribati National Expert Group coordinate national preparedness, while councils and community structures support local action. Warning, evacuation, shelter and response capacity vary because telecommunications, roads, public buildings, water and power systems are unevenly resilient. Environmental impact assessments and project Stakeholder Engagement Plans can involve councils, maneaba and community governance, NGOs, women, youth and fisher groups. Participation provides a consultation or implementation channel, not an automatic veto or property right. There is no single national fee, eligibility rule, service window or complaint process for all surroundings matters. A practical enquiry should identify the island and council first, then confirm the current responsibility with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy, the Public Utilities Board, the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, a health service or the relevant project unit. Local answers can change with the island, council, project and date, and South Tarawa arrangements cannot automatically be transferred to an outer island.