outlook

One of the greatest obstacles to be overcome is in the creation of the infrastructure necessary to promote economic development. Only Tarawa presently generates electric power and provides fresh water for its inhabitants. Air transportation can be had to many islands (there were 17 airstrips in 1984, in addition to the international airport at Tarawa), but there is little on them to make the trip worthwhile.

So what can be done?

First, the generation of electricity must be expanded to all islands for industry or tourism to develop. Photovoltaics may be impractical because they are relatively inefficient at the present and the cost is prohibitive. The same may be said for wave-action generators. Perhaps generators which operate on wind can be used. There are trade winds available year-round to run them, and windmills are capable of generating adequate electricity cleanly. These generators are relatively inexpensive (about US$0.05 per kilowatt-hour), which is an important consideration, and will serve the purpose. Since only South Tarawa has a population larger than 5,500, these types of small-scale power generators may be appropriate and cost-effective in serving the islands other than Tarawa.

Second, it is essential that means be installed to provide fresh water to all islands as well, along with safe storage areas to prevent sea water from contaminating the potable supply. Because there is only one pocket of dense population, any kind of desalination facility for those islands currently without water would probably be too expensive to be practical. Instead, operations which could extract fresh water from the seas through condensation might serve this purpose well. Floating storage tanks could be anchored to the ocean floor instead of being placed on land and flexible pipes or hoses could be used to transfer fresh water to the tanks and from the tanks to the local distribution system.

Third, there is a great deal of pollution in what little ground water exists due to poor sanitation methods. It is vital that Kiribati expand and complete its waste disposal facilities on all islands to preserve the beauty of its ocean home and to protect the already-poor health of its citizens. The cholera epidemic of 1977 must not be allowed to reoccur.

Fourth, Kiribati has a great deal of unspoiled and interesting territory which could be used for tourism without having a detrimental effect on the aquaculture of the region. This is markedly true of the Phoenix Group. Because all land areas are at a premium and are subject to flooding, floating hotels could be built just off the islands in water deep enough to provide boat access. This has been done successfully in Hong Kong.

Amenities for tourist activities such as snorkeling, diving and exploring relics of World War II could be built on the islands themselves. Small boats, or gondolas such as those used at snow-skiing resorts, could transport the tourists from the floating hotel to the island and back. The increase in tourist traffic would be a boon to the economy and provide jobs for many I-Kiribati, even if the hotels were owned by outside interests.

Finally, some effort must be made to investigate the mineral resources which have been located beneath the surf. Deposits of copper, manganese, platinum and more phosphate have been detected on the ocean floor, but as yet the funds are not available to invest in the extraction of these materials. The project may not be economically beneficial after all due to the water's depth, but the possibility should be explored further.

Kiribati must divert more of its efforts and funds toward the development of these areas in order to become self-sufficient. Because the country can meet its own expenses only through foreign aid, it may have to depend upon foreign investment in order to make these necessary projects a reality. In the long-term, such investments will result in Kiribati's true economic independence.

introduction | history | geography | land | population | economy
government and politics | people | outlook | conclusion | references | appendix

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