SPC Geoscience Division

ESAT Project

Tuesday, 23 April 2013 09:45 Molly Powers-Tora
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The Environmentally Safe Aggregate for Tarawa (ESAT) Project is designed to protect the fragile beaches of South Tarawa in Kiribati from damage caused by unsustainable sand and gravel mining. By providing an alternative supply of construction aggregate from the lagoon basin, the project aims to meet South Tarawa’s rapidly growing demands while also reducing pressure on its beaches.

The project is funded by the European Union and jointly implemented the SPC's Geoscience Division and the Government of Kiribati’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource Development (MFMRD).

Large and unsustainable volumes of beach aggregate (sand, gravel and cobble – estimated at 70,000 m3/year in 2006) are removed from South Tarawa’s beaches every year. The fact that this is happening despite fears over shoreline instability and sea level rise, suggests that every possible effort to protect shoreline systems should be made.

ESAT offers a pragmatic “no-regrets” climate change adaptation response to this problem by providing an environmentally sustainable alternative which can reduce pressure on South Tarawa’s fragile beaches and bolster resilience in natural beach systems.

 

The single largest budget item in this project is the MV Tekimarawa-- a 40-m steel, open-water capable vessel with a shallow draft for lagoon work and a total payload of 300 tonnes.

ESAT also implements an awareness and behaviour change programme focused at community understanding and participation (Ara Bike Reirei) and also undertakes routine awareness events with schools.

The project also supports school curriculums through its efforts with the “SandWatch” programme. Comprehensive and strategic efforts to maintain community outreach and consultation are also underway, involving contracts to local NGOs who implement the ESAT Communications Strategy.

 

 

 

 

 

Project Overview

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For more information contact:............................................................................................................................................. Christopher Mark Day - ESAT Project Manager

Email : Click here

 

Last Updated on Monday, 13 June 2016 14:58  


Newsflash

A SOPAC produced film looking at the connections between climate change and water has won third place at an international short film competition run during the recent 16th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico.

The film, “Modern Day Uab”, was created in partnership with Palau’s Roll’em Productions, and combines animation and interviews to link traditional Palauan folklore to the challenges Micronesia faces to protect its water supplies from increased climate variability. The video was presented to thousands of participants in the “Dialogues for Water and Climate Change” session at COP 16.