Introduction
According to the WMO Report 2023, sea levels are rising at 3.7–3.8 mm annually. When combined with intensifying cyclones and coral bleaching, climate change poses an existential threat to island nations.

Body

Ways in which Climate Change Impacts Island Nations

• Rising temperatures damaging ecosystems: Coral bleaching disrupts marine biodiversity and fisheries.
• Frequent extreme weather events: Intense cyclones like Cyclone Winston (2016)  devastate infrastructure and livelihoods equivalent to around 31% of GDP of Fiji.
• Changing rainfall patterns: Severe droughts disrupt agriculture and drinking water supply.
  • Eg:  2011 drought in Tuvalu leading to water rationing.
• Ecosystem collapse: Loss of mangroves and seagrass beds reduces climate resilience as observed in Micronesia.
• Economic stress: Climate change could wipe out tuna stocks, which currently provide about half of Tuvalu’s revenues (Source: IMF).

Ways in which Sea Level Rise impact Island Nations

• Submergence of Low-Lying Islands: Islands just 1–2 metres above sea level risk permanent inundation.
• Population displacement: Communities forced into internal or external migration.
  • Eg: Tuvalu residents migrating to New Zealand (world’s first planned migration) under the Falepili Union Treaty.
• Freshwater contamination: Saltwater intrusion renders aquifers non-potable.
  • Eg: Maldives faces severe freshwater shortages.
• Accelerated Coastal Erosion: Narrow shorelines shrink, reducing habitable and cultivable land.
  • Eg: Kiribati losing farmland due to saline intrusion. (Commonwealth)
• Loss of cultural heritage: Disappearance of ancestral lands erases traditional identities.
  • Eg: Kiribati communities struggling to preserve oral traditions after relocation.

Conclusion
Safeguarding island nations requires climate resilience through coastal zoning, mangrove restoration, and sustainable resource use. Such measures can help these fragile ecosystems withstand rising seas and climatic extremes.

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