Kiribati Drought

Above: The official handover of the newly installed Solar Distillation System at Santo Iotebwa Preschool and Community in Betio, with Parish Priest Father Kanoua Iotebwa and Australian High Commissioner, H.E David Yardley, in August 2022. Photo: Australian High Commission, Kiribati

The Government of Kiribati declared a State of Emergency due to drought in June 2022. The La Niña weather pattern and subsequent low rainfall had created acute water shortages across the entire low-lying atoll nation.

Rainfall dropped to less than a quarter of 2-year historical averages in South Tarawa, which is home to around 60,000 people. This took a toll on rainwater storage, normally the main source of drinking water in the capital, and increased the salinity of the fragile water lens under the Tarawa atoll to alarming levels. On outer islands, where communities largely rely on untreated well water, the impact of the drought was equally challenging, with increasingly brackish (salty) drinking water affecting health and wellbeing.

Above: Installation of the first solar water distillation unit at Santo Iotebwa. Photo: ChildFund Kiribati

The AHP Response

The Australian Government supported the Government of Kiribati to mitigate the impact of the drought through alternative water sources.

A trial of low-tech solar distillation systems on South Tarawa demonstrated that they had potential as a viable and sustainable access option for drinking water, removing the salt and bacteria from available water sources.

Above: A completed solar water distillation unit at Santo Iotebwa. Photo: Australian High Commission, Kiribati

Australian Humanitarian Partnership NGOs supported the Australian Government’s installation of solar water distillation systems, including through the provision of information and education materials in person and through social media.

This work built on support provided during the AHP Kiribati COVID-19 response, which targeted water, sanitation and hygiene support at preschools and community centres (maneabas).

AHP partners distributed hygiene kits and water storage containers, offered household water quality testing, procured solar water purifiers, and transported water directly to communities most in need.

The 24-month AHP response was led by CARE Australia and Plan International Australia, in collaboration with their local partners ChildFund Kiribati and Live and Learn Kiribati.

The AHP drought activation in Kiribati took place in two phases – in the first year, AHP partners supported provision of safe drinking water to communities in selected Outer Islands in consultation with the Government of Kiribati, including community awareness raising sessions and household visits as well as installation of solar desalination units, and a digital awareness-raising campaign. In the final year of the response, Plan and partners conducted community consultations on selected Outer Islands to inform the Australian High Commission’s installation of further solar water distillation units, and developed and disseminated WASH education materials in Betio, South Tarawa.

Response highlights

• ChildFund Kiribati’s assessment on the initial uptake of the solar water distillation units installed by the Australian High Commission on the Outer Islands found that of 112 household interviewees, 87% were aware that water distillation units had been installed in their village or community and 80% reported they had accessed or collected water from the units since they had been installed.

• As a result of the installation of solar water distillation units, 73% of respondents reported health improvements in their household and 86% of respondents reported having more time for other activities. Households were asked how the installation of the unit had impacted the overall community, and the most common responses were that it was saving time for women, resulting in less diarrhea and itchy skin, and creating a better understanding of water harvesting systems.

• At the local level, engaging with local authorities and decision-making bodies, and creating an inclusive environment for all community members to participate, encouraged local ownership of the solar water distillation units. Community members were trained on the basic maintenance of the units, with two members of each community (40 people from 20 communities) identified to serve as volunteer caretakers, receiving hands-on in-depth training and committing to act as the liaison with Green Living and the Island Water Technician if further assistance is required. The Island Water Technician stationed on the Outer Islands, administered by the water unit at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy, also received training on maintenance work so that they could provide support to community members if needed. If well maintained, the lifespan of the solar water distillation units is 20 years.

Field stories from Kiribati