English/Nat The tiny island of Kiribati in the South Pacific will be the first nation on Earth to enter the new millennium - thanks to its proximity to the international date line. But of far more concern to the islanders is the fact rising sea levels threaten their future, as Kiribati increasingly disappears under the waves. Sunrise over Millennium Island, the easternmost atoll of the Kiribati island group. This tiny, postcard paradise in the Pacific Ocean will be the first to enter the year 2000. Midnight at this heaven of sun and sea is 14 hours ahead of London and 19 hours before midnight in New York. The President of Kiribati together with 70 local singers and dancers will join APTN on the far-flung, unpopulated Millennium Island to celebrate this special event of being the first land mass to enter the new millennium and to witness the first sunrise of a new era. They will sail for 3 weeks from their capital on the main island of Kiribati to reach this island which has not been populated in almost a hundred years. On millennium-midnight, the President will present a burning torch as a beacon of hope for the next 1000 years. Kiribati will enter the record books as first into the future, but it may be a very short lived one. Global warming and rising sea levels are taking their toll on this island group. These tiny islands are literally disappearing under the waves. With already clear signs of a future under threat, the local environmental officer expresses his concerns. SOUNDBITE: (English) "If nothing is done at the moment - and we believe that maybe this island will submit after 25 to 30 years, the problem then, the sea will come into our water lands and all the vegetation will die out, and we the people cannot find anywhere to get our fresh water drinking." SUPER CAPTION: Bwere Eritaia, Kiribati Government Environmental Officer Parts of Kiribati are already inundated at high tide. Houses are falling victim to the erosion by the powers of the sea. Some parts of the island group have already being evacuated and surrendered to the rising waters. Fishing is the lifeblood of the whole community here. It's survival through the centuries has always been directly linked to the harvest of the ocean. But now its future is threatened by these same blue waters. This traditional Micronesian culture with a population of only eight-four thousand, is at the mercy of the global ecology. SOUNDBITE (English): "We, the Kiribatese people, want the developed nations of the world to reduce their amount of gas emissions so that the problems of sea level rise will not have too much a dramatic effect upon us." SUPER CAPTION: James Aun, fisherman Because without some radical solution to the issue of global warming, Kiribati will soon just sink under the sea. The people of Kiribati hope that by attracting the world's attention as the first nation to enter the new millennium, they can use the publicity to highlight its plight. Its fragile supply of ground water is already at risk from other sources of pollution. But now the sea water is increasingly encroaching. It's a last ditch battle for survival. Many of the islanders are Roman Catholic. They believe that God can help them in their hour of need. Prayers and psalms to avoid the impending disaster. Being the first nation to enter the new millennium, the President of Kiribati wants to express a message of hope under the dark skies of a pressing ecological problem. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: President Teburo Tito, president of Kiribati A message of hope to the rest of the world. The world Kiribati needs to help to beat the rising sea levels. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/31aa30178be7dd063eb717aab1a247bf Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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