"Beach Clean-up in Tarawa, Kiribati"

Kiribati is an independent island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. Tarawa is a small island and is the capital of

Kiribati. It has many villages on the island. It is a place where culture and traditions are held and bonded strongly by its people. Tarawa has more than half of the country ’s 119,000 people (2020). This island is known as a tour place for fishermen or guides from other countries. You may know more about this island if you follow up with pages on Facebook or just watch any post on Youtube.

During our beach clean-up, which was our Oceanography project for this “Plastics and Oceanography ” SEA Quest seminar, we found many kinds of waste or rubbish which are located on Tarawa. We decided to split or separate our ways to clean our different sides, so each of us picked our area from the

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by Luciana Tooma, Winnie Elliot, and Joseph Morimai Ratinteraoi

Tarawa, Kiribati

following: the Betio side, Ambo side and Eita side, and from our beach clean-ups we collected our data from each kind of rubbish in different locations. Also we collected our data and resources from an environmental ministry.

Data description

Referring to figure 1.1, it indicates or shows the number of any kind of rubbish found in three different locations, but this graph or table shows the majority of any item found on beaches that was collected by the group members or collected by our groups as a project and as a community function. In this beach clean-up the majority item or rubbish is plastic in this year (2022). We found about 100 % of the remaining of plastics since it has the highest number found on different selected beaches.

In figure 1.2, this graph or data was collected from the ministry that deals with Kiribati or Tarawa environment; also, it shows the majority of items within years from 1994 to 2017, but the majority of items or rubbish that is mostly found or the common one is the organic waste; it has the highest number found.

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by Luciana Tooma, Winnie Elliot, and Joseph Morimai Ratinteraoi

Tarawa, Kiribati

Comparison of different locations

Eita side is known as the local zone because there are not many people living there, but at this side it has been found out that there is less rubbish or plastic lying around on the beach. Also, this side is cleaned

Ambo side is different from Eita side because Ambo side has more population than Eita side; also Ambo side has many items found on the beach, the common item because there is less people so the fewer people the less plastic found, so positively Eita is a nice and clean place. (photos of Luciana and her young cousin)

found at Ambo side beach is plastic, like on the Eita side, so the main issue here at this side is plastic as well. (Photos of Winnie)

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by Luciana Tooma, Winnie Elliot, and Joseph Morimai Ratinteraoi

Tarawa, Kiribati

Betio side is a crowded place, used for picnics and other occasions, so this place is positively polluted with every kind of rubbish, so the majority of rubbish commonly found is plastics. This area is more polluted than the other locations. (Photos by Joseph)

Conclusion

The prediction for this project is that it was expected to be polluted, so the thesis was correctly stated. So far this project shows the majority of plastic in different locations in Tarawa. Each data collection shows or indicates the number of plastics or rubbish found in different locations for each year, therefore in 2022, we found about 100% of plastics in our selected area. suggests to reuse the inorganic waste by making home decorations or many creative ideas that would go well with the reusing. Secondly, is to participate in any beach clean-up or gather your family and friends to help out or build or form community services to participate, as well, and, lastly, educate others by telling the importance of plastic or how to minimize the issue or the environmental issue in order for the next generation to know more and teach generation by generations.

Recommendation

To solve or to minimize this problem or issue, our group

by Luciana Tooma, Winnie Elliot, and Joseph Morimai Ratinteraoi

Tarawa, Kiribati