Among the places expected to be most hard-hit by sea level rise in the coming century or two are the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean, ranging from sparsely developed archipelagos in Micronesia to heavily populated coastal areas on the Hawaiian Islands, such as Honolulu.
Among the places expected to be most hard-hit by sea level rise in the coming century or two are the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean, ranging from sparsely developed archipelagos in Micronesia to heavily populated coastal areas on the Hawaiian Islands, such as Honolulu.
Tracking the past, present, and future impacts of sea level rise on the Pacific region is University of Hawaii geologist Chip Fletcher. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Fletcher discusses how rising seas are already causing flooding and other disruptions on various Pacific islands, how saltwater intrusion will pose a major threat to freshwater supplies, and how countless coastal residents may inevitably have to be relocated from disappearing shorelines.
Fletcher notes that while the tropical Pacific is on the front line of climate change’s destruction, it has done little to cause it. “The major industrial nations responsible for global warming have a debt to the Pacific islands to assist with the adaptation that is necessary to survive this challenge,” says Fletcher.
Continue reading at Yale Environment 360
