CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON

ISLAND NATIONS

AN “ISLANDS FIRST” INITIATIVE

Jonathan Liedke
19JUL19
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary……………………………………3

2. Problems
2.1 Rising Sea Levels…………………………...3

2.2 Depletion of Resources……………………..4

2.3 Endangered Species………………………...5

2.4 Additional Concerns………………………..6

3. Solutions………………………………………………8

4. Significance of Solutions……………………………...9

5. Conclusion……………………………………………10

6. Resources……………………………………………..11
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Our climate and oceans are in crisis, and small island nations are on the front
lines. Their livelihoods, and in some cases their physical existences are threatened
(Islands First, n.d.). An island is any piece of sub-continental land surrounded by a
body of water. There are around 2,000 islands in the ocean. They have various
typographies and ecosystems, as well as several species only found in those
locations. As climate change threats increase, both people and animal inhabitants
of islands will be in increasing danger to both their well-being and lifestyles.
Several factors are a result of this change including rising sea levels, depletion of
resources, endangerment to protected species, and more concerns. The purpose of
this document is to bring awareness to these factors and provide possible solutions.

PROBLEMS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

RISING SEA LEVELS

One of the largest climate change risks for island communities are rising sea
levels. There are two primary causes of these rises. One of which is that global
warming is making the polar ice caps melt adding water to the oceans. The second
factor is thermal expansion, which is a result because water expands under heat.
Since oceans absorb 90% of the heat caused by human activity and from the sun
this is compounding the sea level rise at an alarming rate. Due to the rising levels,
some island chains face flooding disasters and in some cases complete overflow to
the point of being sunk underwater. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) states that “sea levels continue to rise at a rate of about
one-eighth of an inch per year.” (NOAA, 2019). Storm surges are also a result of
the rising sea levels, a storm surge is a weather phenomenon similar to a small
tsunami caused by low pressure weather systems. “Globally, eight of the world's
10 largest cities are near a coast, according to the U.N. Atlas of the Oceans.”
(NOAA, 2019). This means that even coastal cities on continents will eventually
be in danger of similar effects that islands now face. “A recent survey has noted
that generally responses to the threat ‘have been largely uninformed’ and that
many are ‘unsuccessful’, and that ‘the historical and modern Pacific will end
within the next few decades.” (Royle, pg. 37). The figure below is a simple
infographic which illustrates how thermal expansion and the melting of ice caps
affect sea levels.
 Figure 1. Sea Level Rise & Global Warming Infographic. (UCUSA, 2013)

DEPLETION OF RESOURCES
Continued increases in air and ocean temperatures would result in droughts
and more frequent extreme weather events. Too much oceanic flooding could
result in farming soils to become over salinized making it unable to grow crops any
longer. For many small island communities, this is how they manage to survive
year-round. Even fishing would become a hardship as ocean acidity would rise as
well. This stems from coral reef bleaching. Coral reefs are important to islands and
even continents as they protect coastlines from ocean swells, provide habitats for
marine life, and are involved in nitrogen production for our atmosphere. As
temperature rises, coral reefs break down and cannot calcify which increases the
pH balance of the ocean. Ocean acidity is also an enormous threat to ocean life and
many marine animals/fish as they could possibly die out. Coral reef degradation
could potentially cause even further destruction to any coastal regions if not
stopped soon. The figure below shows the effects of climate change on coral reefs
and the resulting effects.

Figure 2. Threats to Coral Reefs Infographic. (NOAA, 2019)

ENDANGERED SPECIES
Island specific species have evolved for thousands of years in isolation.
Unfortunately, “islands are the location of 75% of all recorded bird, amphibian,
mammal, and reptile extinctions.” (Duerwald, 2018). Although this is usually due
to invasive species that are introduced by human populations, the other main factor
is climate change altering these creatures’ ecosystems. Some of these species are
vitally important as they impact the ecosystem itself by providing plant pollination
and seed dispersal. Rising sea levels will also result in possible loss of entire
populations for giant tortoises, iguanas, and other species that cannot relocate if
their ecosystem is compromised. The result of these species being lost forever
would be a true sadness for future generations. Sea turtles are also in danger
because of their generations of instincts to return to certain beaches to lay their
eggs. If these beaches erode and disappear this will change their mating patterns
and swimming routes. The figure below shows the impact of climate change on
just one species. Imagine how many more are affected by these issues.

Figure 3. Impacts of Climate Change on Sea Turtles Infographic. (Turtle Island, 2019)
ADDITIONAL CONCERNS
As briefly mentioned in previous sections, extreme weather is another side
effect of climate change. For many weeks at a time, the world is experiencing more
frequent heat waves and droughts. These heat waves effect islands even harder
than most continental regions, as there is less access to fresh water and the process
to make more is harder on the subsystems that are in place. Counter to droughts,
hurricanes are another extreme weather that are occurring. While there is little
evidence of hurricanes forming more frequently. There is substantial proof that the
intensity of the hurricanes is strengthening as a result of climate change.
“Since warm sea surface temperatures fuel hurricanes, a greater temperature
increase means more energy, and that allows these storms to pack a bigger punch.”
(Denchak, 2018). Stronger hurricanes have been happening more commonly in the
last 16 years than in the previous 100 years’ worth of recording before. Hurricanes
hitting islands can easily cause massive devastation and due to these countries not
having large economies or resources, it can take months or years to recover. This
primarily can negatively affect these nations tourism. “Tourism provides jobs.
Further, a tourist economy is not constrained by the limitations of on-island
capability; the tourist brings money made elsewhere and buys goods and services
that may be imported, perhaps on the same plane or ship that carried the visitors”.
(Royle, Pg. 161). Therefore, if people cannot travel to these destinations for
vacation due to extreme weather, the islands economy will suffer even further. The
figure below is just one example of how travelers are changing their destinations
because of hurricane fallout.
 Figure 4. Hurricane Fallout. (IUCN, 2019)

SOLUTIONS
For some islands, if changes are not put into effect the only solution will
become relocation for its residents once the island becomes uninhabitable due to
water levels and flooding. Of course, there are the broad solutions that are
commonly discussed toward the solving of global warming. These include things
such as reducing greenhouse gases by driving less or taking alternate
transportation, the stopping of deforestation, using less electricity and fossil fuels,
and even having less children to decrease populations. Most of these solutions are
simple suggestions for individuals to help lower their carbon footprints and they
usually pertain to populations living near cities. However, for most small island
nations these solutions will not provide any results in the foreseeable near future.
Because of the low greenhouse emissions caused by small island nations, one of
the main solutions islanders are doing is banding together and lobbying to larger
governments to start putting countermeasures into effect. Some habitants are
already being forced to relocate from the more vulnerable areas to safer zones
which the small governments are already helping provide services to its citizens.
Some countries are already working toward using only renewable resources or to
use natural methods to help generate necessary things like drinkable water and
electricity. Hawaii has already passed a law requiring all of the state’s electricity to
be created from renewable sources by 2045. (IUCN, 2015). Some islands are also
working on experimental solutions to elevate their islands and there are plans to
create artificial floating islands in the cases of unrecoverable damages. The figure
below shows one potential solution, an artificial islands that can float to avoid
flooding and even possibly be mobile to avoid storms.

Figure 5. An artificial island. (Denchak, 2018)

SIGNIFICANCE OF SOLUTIONS
Up to this point we have extensively discussed the effects on island nations
due to climate change specifically on loss of property, the land itself and the
animal inhabitants. But there are also health effects to consider from these rising
temperatures and they are not always direct. They will affect both island natives
and continental dwellers. As there are more frequent heat waves, there will be an
increase in people who suffer from heat stroke and dehydration. Also, the raised
temperature will help spread bacteria faster. Extreme weather can cause pollutants
from the ocean to make its way to drinking water causing illness. Furthermore,
there is injury and potential death from the hurricanes themselves. Air quality
pollution will cause respiratory and cardiovascular issues. Even changes in rain
seasons can cause mosquitos and other bugs to be more populated, which can
spread other diseases such as Lyme disease or West Nile virus. Additionally, as
previously stated, these factors can cause a loss of agriculture which then causes
starvation. Finally, oceanic acidity changes could cause an increase in mercury
levels being found in marine life which is a large source of food for island nations
and many other coastal regions. Hence the significance of the solutions is to
prevent not only the health effects, but all of the aforementioned problems caused
by climate change. (EPA, 2017) The figure below shows how climate change can
affect anyone’s health whether you are an island native or on a continent.
 Figure 6. How Climate Change Affects Your Health Infographic. (APHA, 2019)

CONCLUSION
If we as a global community do not stand together and work toward a
solution to this crisis, we will all suffer the consequences and regret that we did not
make an effort while we could. Although it is mostly island communities that are
feeling the effects of rising sea levels currently, all coastal regions are already
being inflicted upon by hurricanes and other climate related issues. In the near
future coastal cities will feel the hardships of risen seas and by then it will be too
late to reverse or even stall the effects. For the world benefit of future generations,
we must take both preventative and corrective steps. We are currently at the
precipice of progress, to cease the increasing negative effects from global warming
and we the Islands First initiative implore you to do your part to stopping the
emission of greenhouse gases and wasting of the planet’s natural resources.

Figure 7. Just a closing image of an island paradise.

 RESOURCES

1) Islands First. Retrieved from http://www.islandsfirst.org/what-we-do,

2019.

2) NOAA. Is sea level rising? National Ocean Service website,

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html, 05/24/19.

3) Royle, Stephen A. Islands: Nature and Culture (Earth) (p. 161). Reaktion
Books. Kindle Edition. 2014.

4) Duerwald, Noelle. 7 Island Species and the Race Against Extinction.

https://www.islandconservation.org/island-species-race-extinction/.
05/17/18

5) Denchak, Melissa. Hurricanes and Climate Change: Everything You Need to

Know. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/hurricanes-and-climate-change-
everything-you-need-know. 12/03/18

6) IUCN. Taking action on climate change: islands show the way.

https://www.iucn.org/content/taking-action-climate-change-islands-show-
way. 11/09/15.

7) EPA. Climate impacts on human health. Environmental Protection Agency.

https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-
human-health_.html. 01/13/17