Climate change expert to be hired in New Zealand to help Kiribati
Kiribati faces perhaps the world's most imminent climate change threat , and New Zealand is sending help. A new role being advertised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is designed to support the Kiribati Government's effort to reclaim land from the rising sea. A MFAT spokeswoman said building climate change resilience was a priority for New Zealands development work in Kiribati. "MFAT has scaled up its dedicated climate change human resource over the past two years, establishing a climate change division and, in the Pacific and international development context, a unit focusing on climate change issues," the spokeswoman said. READ MORE: * How to get thousands of Kiwis home when the world is shutting down * Climate change: 'I fear Kiribati will be gone forever' * International journalists banned from reporting on Kiribati ferry sinking * Challenges facing Kiribati indicate what climate change could mean at its worst The island country has an average elevation of approximately just two metres above sea level. Kiribati is particularly at risk to sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and increasing frequency of king tides and other severe weather events. The Kiribati government' is considering several options to combat the rising seas, including floating islands, built-up land, and evacuating to Fiji. The MFAT spokeswoman said the more climate change relief roles could be hired in the future. To date, there are no other New Zealand Government-employed climate change experts working in Kiribati. "While the contract will be held by MFAT under the New Zealand Development Programme, the role is to provide support and advice to the Kiribati Government."