Communities in Kiribati continue to show a strong commitment to staying in place, despite facing ongoing environmental challenges.
I-Kiribati researchers played a key role in a University of Auckland Pacific Studies investigation into climate mobility. Professor Yvonne Underhill-Sem MNZM, co-lead of the University’s research team, said the Pacific-wide, co-designed, community-based project was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). Local researchers, including Robert Karoro, Tekateteke Metai, and Roi Burnett, were central to the project.
Takaeang residents on Aranuka, a remote coral atoll some 4,000 kilometres northeast of New Zealand, remain committed to living in their homeland. A mix of descendants from Aranuka and migrants from drought-prone southern islands, they maintain strong ties to the land.
Professor Underhill-Sem says the community consistently responds to climate impacts with traditional collective decision-making, driven by a deep desire to remain rooted.
Aranuka holds a central place in Kiribati creation stories. A sacred rock on the island is believed to bear the footprint of Riiki, a mythical figure who lifted the sky from the earth under the direction of Nareau, the creator. The island’s name, Ara-nuka — “our centre” — reflects its role as the heart of the Gilbertese world.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Aranuka was part of a chieftainship era. Along with nearby Kuria, it was under the domain of the Uea (high chief) of Abemama. Conflict in the late 19th century led to significant population loss in Aranuka and Kuria. The decline of the Uea’s authority, followed by colonisation and Christianity, gave way to elder-led governance — a system still practiced in Takaeang today.
Mobility has long been part of I-Kiribati history. Past migrations include movements to Rabi in Fiji and Wagina in the Solomon Islands. Despite ongoing climate pressures, the people of Takaeang continue to show resilience.
Their knowledge of local crops — pandanus, breadfruit, coconut, and babai (swamp taro) — helps sustain food security. When coastal erosion and king tides destroyed the nearby islet of Bikentai, which once housed a copra shed, the community adapted by harvesting and selling te ibo (seaworms). A participant reflected:
“Iai te kabaia man te kanaki arei, bwa e a rawata te ibo” — “A blessing arose from the erosion.”
Drying and salting food remains a longstanding practice, particularly in southern islands, helping households prepare for drought and other environmental stress.
Key decisions, including relocation, are made by te botaki n unimwane — the council of male elders. When erosion destroyed the teachers’ quarters at the primary school, the elders relocated them inland within a day to avoid disrupting education.
This elder-led governance continues to guide Takaeang through climate threats. Their focus on community cohesion and sustainability shows the value of local leadership in planning for climate mobility.
“This is how they stay in place,” says Underhill-Sem.
