Kiribati struggles to deal with storm and tides

Transcript

Low-lying Kiribati is struggling to deal with not only the aftermath of Cyclone Pam but also with regular spring tides that are due again this weekend.

At the end of February tides of more than 2.9 metres flooded the islands and then last week Cyclone Pam exacerbated problems.

Koro Vaka'uta reports.

Kiribati constantly struggles with large seasonal tides and the country tries to combat the effects by building seawalls. However, the Kiribati Weather Service says the tides are becoming higher and overflowing these walls.  

UENETA TOORUA: The sort of predictions that we have with waves reaching more than 2.9 metres, it's becoming more frequent.  Last year we had only a few but this year we are forecasting like nine and probably we will see like more in the future.

Officer in Charge Ueneta Toorua says this week's spring tides could be particularly crippling, coming after damaging tides last month and the impact of the storm. Tides of over 2.8 metres are expected through to Sunday. Mr Toorua says while they will be slightly lower than the 2.94 heights of last month's tides,  the damage the country has already sustained has left it particularly vulnerable.

UENETA TOORUA:  There are a lot of severe damage along the coasts after the storms that we experienced last week so that's why we need to flag this one to the public as important, the upcoming spring tide because most of the seawalls and the houses along the coast have been heavily damaged.  There are still some of the seawalls that are not yet fixed at the moment.

In its early stages Pam caused further damage to seawalls and property around Kiribati but the south islands of Tamana, Arorae and Onotoa were particularly affected.  The local Red Cross is struggling to deal with people there, particularly in Tamana.  Secretary-General Meaua Tooki says aid has yet to reach the islands but reports have come in of severe damage to dozens of buildings.

MEAUA TOOKI:  There were 65 households completely destroyed, finished.  Then there were 107 houses damaged as well, affected.  The total population on this island, the recent count, 857.

Ms Tooki says there has also been a call for food and water but donated goods have been hard to come by.  In the meantime she says the government is sending water tanks to help catch rain water as fresh water wells are contaminated.

MEAUA TOOKI:  That's something that we are looking at in the future, to have something like a desalination plant or a more stable water source that can help them.  We're gonna train them.  We keep building their capacity to adapt to the situation because we can't run away.

Ms Tooki says diarrhoea is also becoming a major issue.  A spokesman from the National Disaster Office Rimon Rimon says the dual phenomena have combined to cause huge problems.

RIMON RIMON:  The relocation of the people, the patients of the Betio Hospital to a sports complex.  The situation is still existing.  The Ministry of Public Works is trying to get the hospital back to normal.

The Red Cross and the government say they are trying to be ready for further flooding but there is only so much they can do.