DISAPPEARING ISLANDS OR NOT

DISAPPEARING ISLANDS

So many islands across the globe are facing extinction. Two theories surround why this is happening; rising sea levels due to global warming or the islands are simply sinking into the ocean. Whichever the case, the fact is that these islands and the people who inhabit them are losing the battle against nature

a paper in New Scientist by Paul Kench and Arthur Webb entitled Shape-shifting islands defy sea-level rise (behind paywall here) actually found that far from being inundated, the majority of coral islands are actually growing not shrinking – they can adapt to sea-level

Reported by Australia’s ABC here

1. CARTERET ISLANDS, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Referred to by many as a “sinking paradise”, over a thousand people originally lived on these islands. Over the last decade the Papua New Guinea government has been gradually relocating families, making Papua New Guineans the first climate change refugees. Like many other atolls throughout the Pacific Ocean, this one is very low-lying and its main constituent, the coral, needs to be covered in water most of the time. The islands are expected to disappear completely by 2015.

UPDATE: Papau New Guinea’s islands are perhaps in the worst situation of all islands facing this threat. In addition to Carteret, Mortlock, Nuguria, Tasman, and Nissan are also facing sinking below the depths of sea level. Families continue to be relocated to four cities; Tinputz, Tearuki, Mabiri and Tsimba. Unfortunately the efforts are slow and the island is dissipating. Now the food supply is in jeopardy due to the high salt content of the soil. Neighboring islands are selling surplus food to them, but as an island with little revenue it is not easy for the people. On the bright side PNG (Papau New Guinea) is now inline to receive funds from the American Climate Change. This island has been relying on the good will of organizations such German Church groups like Misereor and Bread for the World.

2. KIRIBATI

Coconuts are no longer on the menu on Kiribati;  they’ve stopped growing on the trees of some islands, as fresh water areas are being flooded with salt water instead. Vegetation is starting to die off and the shorelines aren’t far behind. This central, tropical Pacific Ocean nation has already lost some of its islands to rising sea levels, and the remaining 33 are estimated to sink completely in the next 100 years.

UPDATE: The people of Kiribati (like all these islands) have fought to keep their home, but unfortunately mother nature is winning the war. The highest point on the island is just three meters, and if you stay at a hotel here you will be given a life jacket just in case. Most recently hitting headlines is the story of Iaone Teitiota, a native to the island who is fighting to stay in New Zealand under refugee status. New Zealand law says he doesn’t fit the bill (pun intended) and should be deported. This case is making way for new legislation regarding climate refugees. Most recent guesses indicate the island has 25 to 35 years left before it is no longer above sea level. In the meantime though the food supply and fresh water shortages are a current issue and the island may be uninhabitable long before the 35 year prediction.

3. SOLOMON ISLANDS

Islands don’t tend to disappear overnight, but the warning signs of coastal erosion and salt water damage have started to make a serious impact here. These stunning islands (numbering close to a thousand) are a sovereign state of Oceania ; divers flock here to explore coral reefs, lagoons and underwater volcanoes. Apart from rising sea levels, cyclones and flooding are chipping away its shorelines.

UPDATE: Salt water continues to embed itself within the island, contaminating water supplies and making it very difficult to grow food. No timeline has been estimated about how long the island has left, but the food and water resources may make it a state similar to Kiribati where habitation won’t be possible due to the lack of resources.

4. SARICHEF ISLAND, ALASKA

This traditional Eskimo village has seen some of the world’s harshest weather conditions threaten its existence. The Chukchi Sea which surrounds this long narrow island is normally frozen from mid-November through to mid-June, protecting the island from storms and wave surges. Shown below is the village of Shishmaref where many are losing their homes due to erosion.

UPDATE: We tend to think that disappearing islands only affect warm areas, but this is not true. Sarichef Island’s seaside is eroding quickly. One storm can see 5 feet of the islands edge disappear. Over the past 10 to 20 years more than 30 feet of shoreline has dispersed.

5. TUVALU

Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is midway between Hawaii and Australia and it looks like paradise. It is a real shame that this Polynesian island nation is predicted to be completely under water within 50 years. Climate change and high tides have been known to ravage the low lying shores; if the unthinkable does happen, 11,000 people that live here will not only lose their homes, but their whole country.

UPDATE: Vete Sakaio, Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu recently addressed the UN general Assembly with a plea to address climate change and save their country. His point was that this is not just a Tuvula problem it is a worldwide issue. Perhaps his partying words were the strongest though: “Save Tuvalu in order to save yourself.”

7. FIJI

Fiji is an island nation in Melanesia. As much these islands are all about sunny relaxation and snorkeling its spectacular reefs, global warming is starting to chip away at Fiji’s shores. With inches of the islands’ beaches eroding each year, the coastlines are taking a serious hit. There is a current debate about whether the Pacific islands are adapting to rising water levels or will succumb to the watery depths altogether.

UPDATE: The WWF is actively fighting against the erosion of Fiji by building resilience in tropical mangroves, in hopes to preserve the coastline. Fiji is not slated to disappear from the map, but the serious concern lies in its water supply. If the fresh water becomes diluted with salt water it would potentially become uninhabitable because no food could be grown or water consumed. Flooding, droughts, shoreline erosion, and extreme weather are other worries that climate change has brought to life. Tourism is an important discussion right now, as finding ways to keep this economic must in play while balancing it with sustainability and environmental efforts is vital.

8. MARSHALL ISLANDS

1,156 islets make up this Micronesian nation, but things could look very different in the not so distant future. Some scientists predict that the Marshall Islands will start to be swallowed up by the Pacific Ocean in the next 50 years. The main culprit? Extreme weather conditions. In 2008, extreme waves and high tides caused widespread flooding in the capital city of Majuro and other urban centers, located at 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) above sea level. According to the president of Nauru, the Marshall Islands are the nation ranked as the most endangered due to flooding from climate change.

UPDATE: The Marshall Islands do not view climate change as a distant threat, it is an actual and current one. This year they have seen extreme weather conditions from severe droughts to floods a few weeks later. recently their president Christopher J. Loeak wrote an open letter on the opinion page of the New York Times titled “Climate Change Has Reached Our Shores”. 

9. SEYCHELLES

The Seychelles is made up of  about 115 islands in the Indian Ocean some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) east of mainland Africa, surrounded by spectacular coral reefs. The coral is what stops beach erosion; unfortunately, rising water temperatures are resulting in one of the worst coral die offs ever seen. Some scientists have predicted that most of the Seychelles will be under water in 50 – 100 years.

UPDATE: Seychelles has been developing policies to protect the island, food supply, and people against climate change for several years now. The results are unclear as most of the legislation is in regards to evaluating and not so much how to solve the problem. However, they have certainly taken a pro-active and hands on approach.

10. TOKELAU

Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand that consists of three tropical coral atolls. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, this tropical haven looks heavenly, but could disappear from view before the century is out. Rising sea levels and water temperatures are threatening the coral reefs and coastlines. Just four metres above sea level at its highest point, the odds are against this beauty spot surviving beyond 2100.

UPDATE: The government of Tokelau is facing eroding and disappearing island head on. Tokelau is the first place in the world to operate 100% on renewable energy, this means there are no more fossil fuels, just solar energy.

Ref: http://www.myvacationpages.com/travel-lounge/disappearing-islands/

Ref: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25086963

Lying just two metres above sea level at its highest points, the island nation of Kiribati is the poster child for climate change, with predictions that many of the 32 islands in the group could be lost to the sea in the next 50 years.

But what is it really like? Julian Siddle from BBC Science reports from South Tarawa, Kiribati's main island.

The stereotypical image of Kiribati is of classic pacific atolls, palm trees, coral reefs and people living a simple lifestyle, able to fish in abundant seas. But it is threatened by rising sea levels and facing the full force of climate change.

All that is real, but in addition this island nation is one of the most populated places on earth. Current estimates suggest around 110,000 people live here, and half of these in South Tarawa - a chain of small islands, sharing a lagoon and coral reefs now linked by concrete causeways topped with a dusty road.

The population has boomed since the island obtained independence from Britain in the late 1970s. Villages are now joined, forming a near continuous strip of urbanisation along the roadside and down to the sea.

A shortage of land means there is very little agriculture and the population is now heavily reliant on imported and predominantly processed food.

Many people come from the rural outer islands to the urban centre of South Tarawa. This has been a largely economic migration, though a loss of land to the sea has also provided a push.

"The outer island communities have been affected, we have a village which has gone, we have a number of communities where the sea water has broken through into the freshwater pond and is now affecting the food crops," says Kiribati's president, Anote Tong.

"That is happening on different islands, it's not an isolated event, serious inundation is being witnessed. These are the realities we are facing, whether they are climate change induced or not."

The less populated Island of Abaiang to the north of Tarawa is where a village disappeared beneath the waves. This island has a much lower population than Tarawa, approximately 10,000.

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Climate scientists have expressed surprise at findings that many low-lying Pacific islands are growing, not sinking.

Islands in Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia are among those which have grown, largely due to coral debris, land reclamation and sediment.

The findings, published in the magazine New Scientist, were gathered by comparing changes to 27 Pacific islands over the last 20 to 60 years using historical aerial photos and satellite images.

Auckland University’s Associate Professor Paul Kench, a member of the team of scientists, says the results challenge the view that Pacific islands are sinking due to rising sea levels associated with climate change.

“Eighty per cent of the islands we’ve looked at have either remained about the same or, in fact, gotten larger,” he said.

“Some of those islands have gotten dramatically larger, by 20 or 30 per cent.

“We’ve now got evidence the physical foundations of these islands will still be there in 100 years.”

But, the article continues [bold mine]:-

Dr Kench says the growth of the islands can keep pace with rising sea levels.

“The reason for this is these islands are so low lying that in extreme events waves crash straight over the top of them,” he said.

“In doing that they transport sediment from the beach or adjacent reef platform and they throw it onto the top of the island.”

But Dr Kench says this does not mean climate change does not pose dangers.

“The land may still be there but will they still be able to support human habitation?” he asked.

Adelaide University climate scientist Professor Barry Brook says he is surprised by the findings.

So just why are the Kiribatians looking to relocate? Is it a real problem? Is it just “give us the cash”, or is it some other problem?

Many of these smaller Island Nations are doing a fantastic trade in tourism, indeed the Maldives is building airstrips right, left and centre. Kiribati has two international airports (Godzone only has three or perhaps four).

As Willis points out, water appears to be a big issue, as is coral mining and fishing (yes fish can upset the coral atoll growth). Others point to rubbish – simply put they are running out of places to dig holes and bury the stuff.

"These two factors mean that seas rise a tenth of an inch annually, eroding about 580 acres of Maryland a year."

A combination of geological forces and climate change have raised water levels in the Chesapeake Bay in recent decades, forcing residents to leave once-habitable islands

Holland Island was one of the largest: Historians say it had more than 360 people around 1910, with two stores, a school and a baseball team that traveled to other islands by boat. But the inhabitants' luck, and their land, would not hold. Sea levels in the Chesapeake, scientists say, are rising faster than they are in some other coastal regions of the United States. One reason is ancient: The land here has been slowly sinking for thousands of years, settling itself from bulges created by the weight of Ice Age glaciers. The weight of glaciers to the north pushed the Earth's crust down, and the crust in this area went up like the other end of a see-saw. Now, the whole region is slowly sinking again. 

The other reason is modern: climate change. The Earth's oceans are rising, scientists say, because polar ice is melting, and because warmer water expands. They have noticed the effect of climate change more in the past couple of decades, government scientists say. These two factors mean that seas rise a tenth of an inch annually, eroding about 580 acres of Maryland a year, according to the state. The loss of land is all around the bay but is most noticeable on the low islands. Holland Island was especially hard-hit: Like other Chesapeake islands, it was made of silt and clay, not rock, so its land eroded readily. Today, the ragged piece of marshy land is smaller than Holland's outline in colonial times. "It's just like a dipstick," said Michael Kearney, a professor at the University of Maryland. "The water goes up, it just gets drowned." - Washington Post.

Tangier Island lies in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and is 92 miles (148km) southeast of Washington, DC. This small piece of land is barely above sea level and its 500 residents are fighting for its survival. First settled in 1686, the island at times had over 1,200 residents and during the War of 1812 it served as a staging area for British soldiers. Now fishing restrictions, erosion and rising sea levels have resulted in most of the younger members of this tightly knit community looking for opportunities elsewhere. - BBC.

WATCH: BBC's Franz Strasser went to Tangier Island to see how the remaining islanders are coping with a difficult future.