News article

Post-harvest fisheries and value-adding training completed on Abemama island, May 2020

Tarawa, May 2020 -- A team of five officials from the Fisheries Division have conducted a second round of hands-on training with Abemama communities, aimed at improving skills in cooking and food preservation methods that will help to enhance food security under conditions of climate change.

Approximately 250 participants, including approximately 150 women, took part in the trainings – conducted from April 21 to May 10, starting from the village of Kabangaki and finishing in Tabiang – learning seafood recipes including bottled fish, smoked fish, fish balls, and sea grapes.

Each training also included awareness-raising on plastics and waste management on the island, ensuring that the marine and land environments remain healthy, clean and safe.

Everyone in the villages participated actively, sharing concerns and asking for clarifications.

As well as the training, the team worked with Fisheries Division Extension Staff who will undertake follow-up activities.

As part of the trip, the team also conducted interviews with three to four participants from each village, to hear their stories on adapting to climate change.

The training was deemed a success and there was widespread gratitude with thankful hearts toward the project. Participants said they hoped for more training, including more cooking techniques, during future visits.

One elder from Tabiang, Bwameri Taningaboo, expressed how grateful they were for Abemama being one of the project’s pilot islands, and they would be sure to practice what they learned during the training.

The Mayor, Linda Ueanteang added, “This project is useful as it teaches us the value of our environment and the importance of preserving and nourishing natural resources, so we can draw on them in times of natural disaster.”

Managed by the Environment and Conservation Division under the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, the ‘LDCF2’ project is funded with the support of the Global Environment Facility-Least Developed Countries Fund and implemented with the United Nations Development Programme. Its goal is to build the adaptive capacity of vulnerable Kiribati communities to ensure food security under conditions of climate change. http://www.environment.gov.ki/?page_id=1295

For more information and photos, please contact Teitirake Kabwaua
tteanoa@gmail.com
Phone # 73037367

Enhancing resilience to climate change activities on Maiana island, May 2020

Tarawa, May 20 2020 -- A team from the Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Agricultural Development has returned from Maiana island after a one-week official trip under the project ‘Enhancing National Food Security in the Context of Climate Change’ (known locally as LDCF2)

The trip began on May 2 with an official handing over of the Integrated Community Based Mangrove & Natural Resources co-Management Plan from the Director of Environment and Conservation Unit to the leader of “Te bau ni Maiana”. The plan is let them initiate their island policies in safeguarding their green and blue environment toward the context of climate change resilience.

The following day, on May 3, the team conducted a household-level survey at one village. Designed to feed into an environmental vulnerability assessment study, the survey focused on how people are experiencing the impacts of climate change and human activities, how they are affecting the quality and integrity of the environment and the livelihoods of local people. The island will be revisited again for the completion of this Environment Vulnerability Assessment Study.

The team then conducted a two-day workshop with experts in traditional and local skills, including fishermen, traditional healers, local weavers, gardeners, traditional builders, and youth representatives. Attended by six participants from each village, the workshop sought to determine which natural resources each village has, and to outline major issues posed by climate change toward their natural resources and livelihood means.

On May 9 the team also worked in cooperation with villagers and youth representatives to:

• Tag 17 turtles

• Plant 521 mangrove seedlings on the shores of Tebwangetua

• Plant 6 varieties of pandanus trees, at the coastal area of Tebwangetua adjacent to the mangrove planting site.

  The team also completed the following during the course of their trip:

• Environmental auditing of seawall construction sites and coastal erosion areas in Tebikerai,

Tekaraanga and Tebwangetua (Tebieauea). This auditing assists locals in ensuring that their seawall was constructed through the Environmental Act.

• Cutting and removal of 27 fallen coconut trees along the coastline at Tekaranga, Tematantongo, Tebiauea, Buota and Bubutei villages. (marenauan Buota ma Bubutei).
• Building of a traditional seawall, known as “te buibui”, along the coast of Tematantongo village with representatives from villages.

• A school visit to Tewaiwai JSS in Tebwangetua, raising awareness of students on the importance of a healthy environment and how they can help to safeguard it.

The team returned to Tarawa on May 10.

The LDCF2 project is funded with the support of the Global Environment Facility-Least Developed Countries Fund and implemented with the United Nations Development Programme. Its goal is to build the adaptive capacity of vulnerable Kiribati communities to ensure food security under conditions of climate change. http://www.environment.gov.ki/?page_id=1295

For more information and photos, please contact; Teitirake.Kabwaua
tteanoa@gmail.com
Phone # 73037367