The story of Kiribati mirrors the modern life in many developing Pacific countries – nations that have fallen to hardship due to global warming and rising sea levels. Kiribati is a small island nation of 33 atolls spread out in the South Pacific; the area is the size of Alaska but the amount of dry land could fit within Manhattan. Inhabited by about 100,830 people, Kiribati is among the world's poorest countries.

Kiribati aroused my curiosity after I'd read an interview with Anote Tong, the president of the small island nation, who warned about his country becoming uninhabitable due to the rising sea levels and increasing salination. As Mr. Tong put it: "Kiribati might already have reached the point of no return. To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful, but I think we have to do that."

I travelled to Kiribati for a month to witness first-hand the problems and challenges of the small island country. I focused on photographing the natives and their everyday lives. The story of Kiribati is a complex one, and the rising sea levels are by no means the only threat the country faces. While the country may go the way of Atlantis, there are even more severe and imminent problems with freshwater supply and with salination killing plant life.

The main objective of the project is to invite people from all over the world to really think – and to take action in their everyday lives, to put pressure on world leaders. Not simply to enjoy the photos, but to actively consider what's going on. The people of Kiribati don't want us to just feel sorry for them. They want the world to admit responsibility for their problems related to climate change.


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