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Reflections on their mission to Kirabati by Angela Jordan, St Mark’s College, Port Pirie and Karen Cash, St Albert’s School, Loxton
Kiribati is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Australia, situated at the intersection of the equator and the International Date Line. The islands are scattered over more than five million square kilometres of ocean.

Located in the equatorial region, Kiribati's climate is tempered by the easterly trade winds, and humidity is high during the November to April rainy season. Occasional gales and cyclones occur on the islands, even though they lie outside the tropical hurricane belt. The average temperature is 27°C year-round. Daily temperatures, however, range between 25°C and 32°C. Near the equator, annual rainfall averages 102 centimeters. The islands also face the possibility of severe droughts. As almost all of the islands are coral atolls, they are built on a submerged volcanic chain and are low-lying. The islands of Kiribati do not support any rivers. The soil is poor and rainfall is variable on the islands, making cultivation of most crops impossible. Coconut palms and pandanus trees, however, grow without difficulty on most of the islands.

Marella Rebgetz is a current Australian Good Samaritan Sister, employed by the government of Kiribati to help address Kiribati’s critical water needs. She is a Nuclear Physicist with a degree in water management. Kiribati is being threatened by rising sea levels and the increasing salination of drinking water.

During our visit we were privileged to meet Sr. Marella and listen to her speak about her work as a water engineer for the Kiribati Environmental Foundation. The purpose of her work involved the 2 main effects of climate change on the island, those being coastal protection and the impact on the supply of fresh water.

Marella explained how a coral atoll such as Tarawa is formed from live coral growing around the sides of a sunken volcano. One to two metres below the surface of the land is fresh water that forms like a lense on top of sea water. This ground water along with rain water captured in tanks are the only source of water on Kiribati. This lense can only hold a certain amount. When it rains the lense fills and the excess flows out into the ocean which is also important for the ecosystem that uses it. Sr Marella’s specific project involves working on a pipeline that will allow water to be drawn from the length of the water lense rather than it being concentrated in one area.

A fascinating insight into the current use of wells was also provided. Current wells (a major water source for I-Kiribati) in place at the moment draw water from a concentrated area of the lense and should only be operated with hand pumps and not electric pumps, unless they are able to measure how much fresh water is sitting on top of the salt water. The reason being, if too much is pumped, the salt water from underneath mixes with the rain water. Once this happens the water source is contaminated and it can take up to 20 years for the fresh water lense to reform.

The Kiribati Adaptation Program (KAP) is now focusing on the country's most vulnerable sectors in the most highly populated areas. Initiatives include improving water supply management in and around Tarawa; coastal management protection measures such as mangrove re-plantation and protection of public infrastructure; strengthening laws to reduce coastal erosion; and population settlement planning to reduce personal risks.
Sr. Marella’s work highlights the key role the Good Samaritan Sisters continue to play in Kiribati – raising awareness of our responsibilities to the community of Kiribati and other Pacific communities threatened by climate change.