Anote Tong, president of Kiribati, raised the possibility of building a $2 billion floating island as a solution to the problems facing this low-lying Pacific island nation as a result of rising sea levels. Islanders are already losing their homes and livelihoods, and the country is facing a bill of $947 million to protect existing infrastructure from the effects of climate change.
Speaking at the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland, New Zealand, in September, Tong said that his government was also considering building a series of sea walls that would cost around $1 billion, and relocating some residents to other Pacific countries. He was determined, however, that Kiribati would not be completely abandoned.
