Kiribati looks to move sea threatened communties abroadLast

[Stacey King]

Australia Network News provided by ABC Asia Pacific News Centre
10 Feb 2009

The President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, is reportedly looking to purchase land in other countries so it can relocate communities that are in danger of being submerged by rising sea levels.

Much of Kiribati is no higher than five meters above sea level and the ocean around it's 21 inhabited islands have been rising around five millimetres a year since 1991.

The Pacific News Service says Kiribati is the second island-nation after the Maldives that's floated the idea of buying land to prepare for rising seas.

President Tong says alternatively there should be an international commitment that allows countries that are willing to provide land to be compensated.

President Tong has pleaded with leaders who will meet in Copenhagen in December to turn their attention to islanders hurt by global warming.