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July - December 2013
3
rd
and
4
th
quarter
SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC)
ARRIVAL OF DREDGE BARGE SIGNALS CHANGE FOR TARAWA
The celebratory arrival of the MV
Tekimarawa, a 40 m steel shallow dredging
barge at Betio in September 2013
represented an important milestone for
Kiribati and its aspirations of sustainable
economic growth. The barge is a critical
component of the European Union-funded
Environmentally Safe Aggregate for Tarawa
(ESAT) Project, which aims to reduce
reliance on unsustainable beach mining for
sand and gravel used in construction work.
‘We are thrilled to welcome the Tekimarawa
to Tarawa at last,’ said Ms. Naomi Biribo,
Secretary of the Kiribati Ministry of Fisheries
and Marine Resources Development
(MFMRD). ‘Projects like ESAT are critical,
as they support sustainable development,
economic growth and prosperity for
Kiribati.’
An estimated 70,000 tonnes of aggregate
are removed each year from the beaches
of South Tarawa to meet local demand
for construction materials. This mining
exacerbates coastal erosion on the already
vulnerable and densely-populated atoll. By
providing an environmentally sustainable
alternative source of aggregate, the ESAT
Project offers a pragmatic ‘no-regrets’
response to this problem.
‘Sustained research by SOPAC has revealed
abundant aggregate deposits in the lagoon
and further work has shown they can be
safely exploited at low cost and, more
importantly, with far lower environmental
impacts than beach mining,’ said Dr Arthur
Webb of the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community’s (SPC) Applied Geoscience
and Technology (SOPAC) Division, a key
ESAT implementing partner.
By providing a low-cost local supply of sand
and gravel, the Tekimarawa will significantly
reduce outsourced construction expenses.
With AUD$450 million earmarked for
large-scale infrastructure projects in South
Tarawa over the next 5-10 years, projected
demand for aggregate is substantial and
will likely require at least one 300-tonne
payload trip per day once the barge is
operating regularly. Dredging sand and
gravel from a site north of Betio Island has
been ongoing since November. Meanwhile,
Te Atinimarawa Co. Ltd., a state-
owned enterprise established in 2013, is
overseeing operations of the barge, as well
as the aggregate depot and processing
facility on Betio Island.
When it is not dredging for aggregate
in the Betio lagoon however, the open-
ocean capable barge can also be used
to help meet Kiribati’s growing needs for
inter-island transport, ensuring that the Te
Atinimarawa Co. generates reliable revenue
for the government.
The ESAT Project is being implemented by
the SPC’s SOPAC Division in partnership
with the Government of Kiribati’s Ministry
of Fisheries and Marine Resources
Development, and is funded by the
European Union.
Tekimarawa in dredging action
ESAT Project Manager Nick Harding with counterparts beside the Tekimarawa (insert top)
Tekimarawa at sea (insert bottom)
July - December 2013