AGP Executive Report

Deep-Sea Mining: Two U.S. companies have applied to explore seabed minerals in international waters bordering Kiribati, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia. The proposed survey area is also a special fisheries management zone, raising concerns about impacts on fishing and sensitive marine habitats. The applications are not mining approvals. Water Security: A strong El Niño is straining Pacific water supplies. On Kiritimati, a local public servant monitors the island’s freshwater lens after receiving training through a Pacific Community water project. Rising Seas: A Commonwealth study estimates sea levels around Kiribati are rising by about 5 millimetres a year and warns that the country’s adaptation funding and governance arrangements are not yet adequate to meet the threat.

Water Security: A severe El Niño is straining Pacific water systems. On Kiritimati, a trained local public servant monitors the freshwater lens, while regional experts say communities can build resilience with available water technologies. Coastal Risk: A Commonwealth study puts sea-level rise in Kiribati at about 5mm a year and warns that weak governance and fragmented rules are limiting countries’ ability to prepare. Ocean Research: Pacific scientists are sharing monitoring and research to track ocean acidification, with work spanning Kiribati and other island nations. Island Archaeology: An international team investigating a possible Amelia Earhart aircraft sighting on Kiribati’s Nikumaroro atoll found the object was tree debris, not wreckage, while documenting the site and other artifacts.

Water Security: A powerful El Niño is putting Pacific water systems under strain. On Kiritimati, a local official trained through an SPC project monitors the island’s freshwater lens, helping strengthen resilience to drought. Rising Seas: A Commonwealth study puts Kiribati’s sea-level rise at about 5 millimetres a year and warns that adaptation planning and funding remain inadequate across the countries examined. Ocean Research: Pacific scientists, including researchers working with Kiribati, are pooling observations and expertise to track ocean acidification and its risks to marine life and island communities. Field Science: An international team’s expedition to Nikumaroro in Kiribati found that a suspected Amelia Earhart aircraft object was tree debris, but documented other artifacts and environmental details for future research.

Water Security: A powerful El Niño is straining Pacific water systems, with dry conditions hitting some communities especially hard. On Kiritimati, a trained local public servant monitors the freshwater lens with support from the Pacific Community. Coastal Protection: Seawalls are being built or completed in Kiribati and other island nations, as storm surges damage homes, farmland and freshwater supplies. A Commonwealth study puts Kiribati’s sea-level rise at about 5mm a year and warns that adaptation planning and funding remain inadequate. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers are sharing observations and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and assess risks to marine life and communities that rely on it. Field Research: An international expedition to Nikumaroro in Kiribati investigated a possible clue to Amelia Earhart’s lost aircraft, but found the lagoon object was tree debris, not wreckage.

Coastal Resilience: Seawalls are complete or underway in Kiribati and other Pacific nations as rising seas and storm surges threaten homes, farmland and freshwater. A Commonwealth study puts Kiribati’s sea-level rise at about 5 millimetres a year and says adaptation funding and governance remain inadequate. Water Security: A strong El Niño is straining Pacific water systems, with drought worsening shortages in vulnerable communities. On Kiritimati, a local public servant trained through an SPC project monitors the island’s freshwater lens. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers are pooling observations and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and its effects on marine life and island communities. A regional SPC report says its 2025 ocean projects supported science, monitoring and training across 20 Pacific countries and territories. Kiribati Research: An international archaeological team investigated a possible aircraft wreck near Nikumaroro, but found the lagoon object was mostly tree debris—not Amelia Earhart’s plane.

Coastal Resilience: A Commonwealth-commissioned study warns that sea levels are rising about 5mm a year in Kiribati, while adaptation funding and governance in the countries studied are not keeping pace with the threat. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers are sharing observations and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry, with Kiribati among the island settings in the regional effort. Field Research: An international team investigating a suspected piece of Amelia Earhart’s plane on Kiribati’s Nikumaroro atoll found the lagoon object was mostly tree debris, but documented artifacts and gathered information about the island.

Coastal Resilience: A Commonwealth study says sea levels are rising about 5mm a year in Kiribati and warns that the five countries studied lack adequate systems to fund and manage adaptation. Ocean Research: Pacific scientists, including researchers working with Kiribati, are sharing observations and skills to track ocean acidification and its effects on marine life. El Niño Outlook: The strengthening event may persist through March 2027, bringing prolonged risks to Pacific food and water supplies; forecasts point to below-normal rain in parts of the region. Nikumaroro Expedition: Archaeologists investigating a possible trace of Amelia Earhart’s plane in Kiribati found the lagoon object was mostly tree debris, but documented the site and other artifacts for future research.

Nikumaroro Search: An international archaeology team that travelled to Kiribati’s remote atoll to investigate a possible trace of Amelia Earhart’s plane found the object was tree debris, not aircraft wreckage. The expedition documented other artifacts and gathered information for future research. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers, including scientists from Kiribati, are sharing data and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and its effects on marine life and communities. SPC says its 2025 ocean projects reached 20 Pacific countries, trained 1,771 people and produced more than 600 data and knowledge tools. Climate Outlook: A strengthening El Niño could persist through March 2027, bringing prolonged impacts on food, water and livelihoods across the Pacific; conditions will vary by country. Research Skills: Women in agricultural research from Kiribati and six other Pacific nations joined a regional fellowship workshop focused on leadership, project planning and collaboration.

Kiribati Archaeology: An international team’s October expedition to Nikumaroro investigated a lagoon object thought by some to be Amelia Earhart’s missing plane. Researchers found it was mostly tree debris, not aircraft wreckage, but documented artifacts and gathered more information about the atoll. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers, including scientists working on Kiribati, are sharing data and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and assess risks to marine ecosystems and communities. Regional Research: The Pacific Community says it delivered €46 million in ocean projects across 20 Pacific countries and territories in 2025, producing scientific papers and data tools and training more than 1,700 people. Research Skills: A regional fellowship brought women in agricultural research, including participants from Kiribati, together for leadership and project-management training to strengthen research capacity and collaboration.

Kiribati Archaeology: An international team investigating a lagoon anomaly on Nikumaroro found it was tree debris, not Amelia Earhart’s missing aircraft. The expedition documented artifacts and the atoll’s environment, but found no confirmation of the plane theory. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers, including scientists working in Kiribati, are sharing monitoring data and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and its effects on marine life and island communities. Research Skills: A regional fellowship workshop brought together women in agricultural research from Kiribati and six other Pacific countries to build leadership, project-management and collaboration skills.

El Niño Watch: Pacific forecasters say the strengthening event could persist through March 2027, bringing prolonged risks to water supplies, food security and livelihoods across the region. Nikumaroro Expedition: Researchers investigating a lagoon anomaly in Kiribati for clues to Amelia Earhart’s missing aircraft found tree debris, not wreckage, but documented the site and other artifacts for future study. Ocean Monitoring: Pacific scientists, including researchers working in Kiribati, are sharing data and skills to track changing ocean chemistry and its effects on marine life and communities.

Kiribati Expedition: An international team investigating a possible clue to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance on Nikumaroro found the lagoon object was tree debris, not aircraft wreckage. The archaeologists documented other artifacts and environmental details for future research. Ocean Science: Pacific researchers, including scientists working in Kiribati, are sharing observations and expertise to track ocean acidification and understand its risks to marine life and island communities. Climate Outlook: A regional forecast says El Niño is strengthening and could persist through March 2027, bringing prolonged pressure on Pacific food and water supplies. Pacific Research: Five University of the South Pacific PhD scholars presented work on coastal water quality, forest genetics and displacement at a climate-policy gathering in Fiji.

Nikumaroro Expedition: Researchers from the University of West Florida joined an international team in Kiribati to investigate a suspected trace of Amelia Earhart’s aircraft. They found the lagoon object was tree debris, not wreckage, but documented other artifacts and environmental details. Ocean Research: Pacific scientists are combining observations and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry, including in Kiribati, helping build a regional picture of risks to marine life and coastal communities. El Niño Outlook: The current event is strengthening and could persist through March 2027. Regional forecasts warn of prolonged effects on water, food security and livelihoods. Regional Science Support: The Pacific Community reported delivering €46 million in ocean projects across 20 Pacific countries and territories in 2025, training 1,771 stakeholders and sharing more than 600 data and knowledge tools.

Emergency Alerts: A US$1.2 million NOAA award will support mobile early-warning systems in Kiribati and eight other Pacific nations. Cell-broadcast alerts can reach phones quickly, even when networks are congested. Ocean Science: Pacific scientists, including researchers working across Kiribati and other islands, are sharing data and expertise to track changing ocean chemistry and understand risks to marine ecosystems. Climate Outlook: A strengthening El Niño could persist through March 2027, threatening water, food security and livelihoods. Regional forecasters urge Pacific countries to prepare for prolonged impacts. Ocean Research: Five USP scholars presented climate-related work at a pre-COP31 event, while SPC reported €46 million in ocean projects across 20 Pacific countries and territories in 2025, supporting science, fisheries and conservation.

Ocean Science: Pacific researchers, including scientists from Kiribati, are combining monitoring and data to track ocean acidification and its risks to marine life and coastal communities. El Niño Watch: The current event could become the strongest recorded since 1950 and persist through March 2027. Forecasts point to prolonged pressure on water, food and livelihoods across the region. Emergency Technology: A US$1.2 million programme will help Kiribati and eight other Pacific nations prepare mobile cell-broadcast alerts, which can deliver warnings to phones within seconds, even when networks are congested. Regional Research: Kiribati is among seven Pacific nations represented in a fellowship building women’s leadership and collaboration in agricultural research.

El Niño Watch: The Pacific’s current El Niño is strengthening and could persist through March 2027, raising the risk of prolonged pressure on water, food supplies and livelihoods across the region. Emergency Alerts: Kiribati is among nine countries set to benefit from a US$1.2 million GSMA programme to roll out mobile cell-broadcast alerts, which can send warnings to phones within seconds, even when networks are congested. Ocean Science: The Pacific Community delivered €46 million in ocean projects across 20 Pacific countries in 2025, supporting fisheries, marine conservation and forecasting, and providing more than 600 data and knowledge tools. Biodiversity Planning: Kiribati is updating its biodiversity strategy and environmental policy, while calling for accessible, grant-based funding to help turn conservation commitments into action.