South Tarawa Coastal Condition Assessment

Abstract

The Government of Kiribati commissioned Beca to carry out one of the components of the Kiribati Adaptation Project – Phase II (KAPII Component 2.2.1 FS6). The purpose of this component is to improve protection of public assets along the coast of South Tarawa. Effective management of public assets can be divided into two parts. First, it is necessary to identify those assets currently at risk from erosion. Second, once ‘at risk’ assets have been identified it is necessary to evaluate the most effective solution to protect assets. An important element in the assessment of risk at the coast and of the design of an appropriate solution is to understand the coastal processes (wave and current conditions) that impact shorelines promoting erosion and flooding. This report addresses the first of these steps. It outlines the design and implementation of a methodology called the ‘South Tarawa Coastal Condition Assessment’ (STCCA) to identify public assets at risk from erosion in South Tarawa.