Donors making a difference: Community-centred action for climate change adaptation

Imagine waking as first light spreads across still water and the rustling of coconut palms stir in the morning breeze. Your home, built from the pandanus tree, stands raised above the sandy atoll straddling the land between the lagoon and the Pacific Ocean.

Life here is shaped by the natural environment. Your village, Rawannawi, is 1 of 8 dotted around the ringed atolls.

Your family has lived here for generations, in a community connected by traditions deeply rooted in land and sea. Fishing and growing bwabwai, a traditional root crop in the taro family, are part of daily life.

For generations I-Kiribati have understood the innate patterns of life here: the predictability of the tides, periods of rain for water harvesting, and the places to grow crops even with limited soil.

Now things are changing.

On low-lying Marakei Island of Kiribati, residents are experiencing the impacts of climate change on their health.

Periods of drought are becoming more challenging, sea level rise and king tides are increasingly causing flooding, and coastal erosion is altering familiar shorelines.

Saltwater inundation threatens fragile underground freshwater and the ability to grow food locally. These changes can have direct consequences for health, nutrition and wellbeing.

To better understand and respond to these impacts, the Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and WHO are working closely with communities across Kiribati, including on Marakei, listening to local experiences and identifying practical ways to strengthen resilience to climate change.

Reverend Tasiuta Erona Tarakabu, of the organization Live and Learn Environmental Education Society (Kiribati), led the three-day community workshop on climate-sensitive health risks and adaptive strategies. Topics included water access and safety, sanitation, food security and preparedness, among others.

He shared, “people in Kiribati are already witnessing the effects of climate change. The workshop created an opportunity for people to share their observations, learn from one another, and explore actions they can take to adapt. The solutions come from the community itself, using their knowledge and a shared commitment to protecting health and wellbeing.”

For Kamauree Nimatu, a resident of Rawannawi village, the discussions brought climate change closer to home.

As a father, he often thinks about what the future will look life for his young children and whether the island’s natural resources will continue to sustain future generations as they have in the past.

The workshop helped him better understand the environmental changes affecting his community and, importantly, the practical actions that can be taken to adapt.

Kamauree spoke about his concerns regarding access to healthy food – a challenge shared by many community members and one that is increasingly affected by climate change.

Inspired by what he learned, Kamauree has since planted pandanus trees around his property to help strengthen local food security and resilience.

A familiar sight across Kiribati, pandanus is more than just a tree – it provides food, materials for building and weaving, and helps stabilize the soil against erosion.

For Kamauree, planting pandanus is a meaningful investment in the future of his family and community.

Across Marakei, the most pressing challenge reported by households is access to safe drinking water, confirming that water security remains the core climate-sensitive concern on the island.

In response, community members received training in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including hands-on experience testing water wells with mobile water testing kits and learning practical methods for well cleaning and maintenance.

For Kaitaake Tekaie, protecting water is a responsibility shared by the whole community. As a member of Tekarakan village’s water committee, she has seen firsthand how increasingly powerful king tides can sweep into the village, bringing seawater closer to homes and threatening precious freshwater sources.

For Kaitaake, the training reinforced the importance of WASH for safeguarding the health and wellbeing of families across the island.

These are just a few examples of the actions identified through the community adaptation plans developed during the workshop, demonstrating how locally led solutions are helping communities respond to the growing impacts of climate change.

These adaptation efforts are part of a multi-year US$ 6 million project generously funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The project, jointly implemented by the Kiribati MHMS and WHO, aims to strengthen health systems, health care facilities, schools, and communities in Kiribati – with an emphasis on outer islands like Marakei – to protect and improve population health in a changing climate.