Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management

The Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan (KJIP) 2019-2028 is a strategic roadmap designed to increase national resilience through a 'whole-of-country approach.' It identifies 12 major strategies covering governance, food and water security, health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and climate finance. The plan emphasizes the extreme vulnerability of Kiribati's atoll geography to sea-level rise and extreme weather, while specifically integrating gender-responsive actions and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. It formalizes the Kiribati National Expert Group (KNEG) as the primary advisory and coordination body to ensure that climate adaptation is mainstreamed into ministerial operational plans and national budgets.

• Kiribati is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geography as an atoll nation and its status as a least developed country, with limited capacity to manage natural and man-made disasters.
• Observed climate trends since 1950 include rising air and sea surface temperatures, increasing ocean acidification, and sea-level rise measured by satellite altimeters at 1–4 mm per year.
• Future projections indicate that under high emission scenarios, annual temperatures could increase by more than 3°C by 2090, and mean sea level could rise by 38–87 cm by 2090.
• The KJIP identifies 12 major strategies to address vulnerabilities, including strengthening governance, improving knowledge management, greening the private sector, and promoting renewable energy.
• Water and food security are critical priorities, with the plan focusing on promoting salt- and drought-resilient crops and strengthening community engagement in safeguarding water sources.
• The plan prioritizes the 'climate proofing' of infrastructure, including retrofitting schools and coastal roads to withstand extreme weather events.
• Energy security is addressed through a transition to renewable sources, with a target of 60% grid-connected solar energy by 2025 and the exploration of coconut oil biofuels.
• Climate finance capacity is a key focus, aiming to strengthen the Climate Finance Unit to better engage with multilateral sources like the Green Climate Fund.
• The plan emphasizes gender equality, noting that women often have less access to resources and bear a disproportionate burden of care during disasters.
• Governance is structured around the KJIP Secretariat within the Office of Te Beretitenti and the Kiribati National Expert Group (KNEG), which serves as the main advisory body.
• The plan seeks to protect Kiribati's sovereignty and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) against the impacts of sea-level rise through research and legal reviews of UNCLOS.
• Between 2011 and 2018, Kiribati accessed approximately USD 54.9 million for climate and disaster risk management, with the largest proportion (40%) aimed at water and sanitation.

APA

NAP Global Network (2019). Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Kiribati-Joint-Implementation-Plan-for-Climate-Change-and-Disaster-Risk-Management-2019-2028.pdf

Chicago

NAP Global Network. Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management. 2019. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Kiribati-Joint-Implementation-Plan-for-Climate-Change-and-Disaster-Risk-Management-2019-2028.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NAP Global Network |title=Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management |date=2019 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Kiribati-Joint-Implementation-Plan-for-Climate-Change-and-Disaster-Risk-Management-2019-2028.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{napglobalnetwork2019kiribati, author = {{NAP Global Network}}, title = {{Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management}}, institution = {NAP Global Network}, year = {2019}, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Kiribati-Joint-Implementation-Plan-for-Climate-Change-and-Disaster-Risk-Management-2019-2028.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }