![]() ![]() Visitors to Betio Island can readily see wrecked American tanks and LVTs along the beaches, as well as the ruins of Japanese gun emplacements and pill boxes. There is growing interest to expanding their terrestrial protected areas to include complementary marine protected areas in the Line Islands. Tarawa is one of the few Pacific battlefields that remained essentially unchanged for the half century that followed World War II. Regionally, Kiribati has made significant commitments toward the protection of marine resources in the Pacific Ocean, the largest of which is the declaration of the 405,755 km 2 Phoenix Islands Protected Area and World Heritage Area. Although there are few published scientific studies, a review of technical reports suggests localized pollution, destructive fishing practices, overfishing, and poorly planned coastal infrastructure have all contributed to the decline of coastal resources. The limited flora of Kiribati is ecologically critical to wildlife on the atolls, as well as for the culture and survival of the i-Kiribati people. Tarawa Atoll, pictured here, lies approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Recent deep-sea research suggests high biodiversity in benthic habitats below 200 ft., with many species new to science. By late afternoon of 26 November, the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, had reached the south end of the last large island at the northwest end of Tarawa atoll. Many of the uninhabited atolls in the Line and Phoenix Island group boast excellent examples of healthy coral reefs without anthropogenic stresses, and are home to globally significant populations of seabirds. However, Kiribati has one of the largest exclusive economic zones with globally important tuna stocks. Kiribati’s geographical isolation and remoteness makes it difficult to access regional and global economic markets, and it is considered as one of the least developed countries in the Pacific. Tarawa, the site of a brutal World War II battle, is divided into North and South Tarawa. UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Tarawa consists of a large lagoon fringed by a V-shaped reef, around 35 km long, and is made up of more than 30 islets. The UNICEF Kiribati Field Office is seeking to recruit a Health Services Provision Assessment (Quality of Care) Consultant for a duration of 6 months to be based in the UNICEF Pacific country office in Tarawa, Kiribati. ![]() The Republic of Kiribati is largely composed of infertile, low-lying atolls, and coral islands in the central Pacific. Tarawa Atoll, pictured here, lies approximately halfway between Hawaii and Australia. ![]()
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