President Tong says land is for food, not for relocation
By Mereseini Marau
SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Feb. 4, 2013) – The government of Kiribati will buy about 6,000 acres of land near Savusavu in Fiji for its food security as the country has started feeling the effects of the rising sea level.
And it will ensure that it protects whatever part of Kiribati that can be saved from the wrath of climate change.
In an interview, Kiribati President Anote Tong who was in New Delhi for the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, said the last thing he wanted was for people to panic.
"We are buying this land in Vanua Levu, near Savusavu, to address our food security and not for the relocation of our people," he said.
"The survey is concluded and we are now waiting for the approval of the Minister of Lands."
Mr. Tong who has been advocating about the adverse effects of climate change in his small island state said that a whole community in...