Above: book design by Jacquie Lawson

Kiribati: Project by Jacquie Lawson

Kiribati, an archipelago of 33 low-lying coral atolls scattered across the Pacific Ocean barely 4 metres above sea level, is sinking beneath the waves as global warming causes ocean sea levels to rise. According to recent environmental reports and climatic observations, Kiribati could be completely submerged by as early as 2025. If this is the case, Kiribati will be the first of many South Pacific nations to face climatic devastation and become the world's first environmental refugees.

The harmful effects of global warming have already started to take their toll on the tiny islands of Kiribati. Salt water seeps into their wells contaminating much of the nation's fresh water supplies, making it very difficult to grow crops and erosion has caused many houses to collapse as a result of constant storms and flooding. Two smaller uninhabited islands of Kiribati have already disappeared beneath the waves as a result of global warming and scientists fear that it may already be too late for tiny island nations such as Kiribati, whose people could be forced to leave their island home within decades. Hence, it is the social and moral responsibility of the developed nations to work together to stem the effect of climate change and prevent this ruination from occurring.

The 'Kiribati' project is a proposal for a water bottle and aquapedia campaign aimed at raising awareness of the harmful effects of global warming and the harsh realities it poses for the people of Kiribati in the near future. The water bottle design features a timeline which depicts some of the key environmental events that have influenced Kiribati to date, as well as some predictions regarding environmental disasters which could occur in the future if abuse of the environment continues.

Ten percent of the water bottle and aquapedia purchase will be donated towards scholarships for young Kiribati students to come to Australia to gain an education so that they can return to their home land and impart their knowledge by teaching in local schools. This will then provide a generation of people who are better equipped to gain employment in their new homes, if their islands are submerged.

Contact Jacquie Lawson

About Message in a bottle

Third year Communication Design Students at Monash University were encouraged to participate in the Aspen Design Challenge 'Designing Water's Future' by responding to the environmental issue of buying drinking water in plastic bottles. The Message in a Bottle required students to develop a campaign to discourage the use of bottled water through the sale of bottled water. The ironical message would imply that this is the last bottle of water you will buy.

Students were asked to design and brand water bottles for desalinated water and for reclaimed water (recycled sewage) so as to highlight the urgency of the issue. The water bottle was also designed to promote the sale of the ultimate resource book on water. This "Aquapedia" would be the definitive book on water and could be purchased on line.

Project leader

Russell Kennedy, Senior Lecturer, Visual Communication,
Monash University, Faculty of Art & Design

Links

Water Project website
INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge website