Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the ESAT Dredging Project

There is an increasing need for sand and gravel for building matericals in Tarawa and on other atolls. However, supplies from overseas are expensive. Furthermore, the mining of local beaches contributes to coastal erosion and lacks sufficient quantities for the current and future requirements. An answer to these problems is to source supplies from the lagoon. A purpose-built vessel capable of dredging lagoon aggregates in Tarawa and further afield is available through a European Union grant. A proposed extraction site is located adjacent to the submerged western barrier reef north of Betio Island. The resource is large.