"Digging through one of many dangers creeping our Earth.", Brand Strategy, Team Green Pulse
Our Project: The Untold Story of Kiribati Island
At NASA Space Apps Cairo 2024, my team, Team Green Pulse, tackled one of the most urgent and emotionally resonant climate stories on the planet: the impending disappearance of Kiribati, a low-lying atoll nation in the Pacific Ocean.
Kiribati stands at the frontlines of climate change. The highest point on South Tarawa is just 3 meters above sea level. With rising seas, glacial melt, and ocean expansion accelerating, the entire nation faces a future beneath the waves, taking with it generations of culture, heritage, and human life.
🏝️ Kiribati at a Glance
A Pacific atoll nation. Highest point: 3m above sea level (Eita Village, South Tarawa). On the frontlines of global climate change. The people of Kiribati are among the world's first climate refugees.
Meet Mary
To anchor our story in human truth, we created a narrative character: Mary, a 10-year-old girl from Tarawa, Kiribati. Mary is our hero, a child who sees her homeland slowly being swallowed by the sea.
Mary represents three things:
- Hero, She anchors the entire story, giving the climate crisis a human face.
- Refugee, Her home is set to perish under rising waters, making her a soon-to-be climate refugee.
- Symbol, She symbolizes every person, family, and community displaced by climate change worldwide.
The Science: Rising Sea Levels
Our solution was built on real NASA open data, visualizing the mechanisms driving sea-level rise: global warming, glacial melt, and ocean thermal expansion. We broke down the science in accessible, human-centered terms that showed visitors both the cause and the consequence.
The Global Ripple Effect
Rising seas don't only threaten Kiribati. We illustrated how coastal communities worldwide, from Bangladesh to Miami, face interconnected threats. The climate crisis has no borders. Kiribati is a mirror, and the world is what's reflected.
The Role of Indigenous Knowledge
We highlighted how the indigenous people of Kiribati have adapted to their environment for generations using traditional ecological knowledge. Their sustainable management of natural resources offers lessons for global climate adaptation strategies that no algorithm can replicate.
Technology & Innovation in Adaptation
Our solution also explored technological responses being developed: floating structures, land-raising initiatives, renewable energy adoption, and carbon capture. We showed how global tech innovation and local wisdom together can create a fighting chance for nations like Kiribati.
A Future Worth Fighting For
At the close of our narrative, we painted a hopeful picture: Kiribati thriving with green energy sources, restored ecosystems, and strong international collaboration. Not inevitable doom, but a world where action changes the story's ending.
"Storytelling and scientific data can drive change. Encourage efforts to reduce carbon emissions, adopt renewable energy, and advocate for climate justice.", Green Pulse Brand Strategy
The Result
Out of 500+ competing teams, Team Green Pulse won the NASA Space Apps Cairo 2024 Local Competition and was officially selected as a Global Nominee, representing Egypt on the world stage of the NASA Space Apps Challenge. As team leader, guiding this team through the process of merging data science, storytelling, and human-centered design was the most rewarding technical and creative experience of my career to that point.