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The Effects of Climate Change on Islands

By: Maria Martin

Figure 1: Display of the flooded roads in the Samoan islands.

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Table of Contents
I. Introduction and Abstract--------------------------------- 3
a. Why is Climate Change Significant on Islands?

II. The Environmental and Economic Effects of Climate

Change on Islands------------------------------------------ 3
a. Rising Sea Levels
b. Changing Climate Circulation Patterns
c. Economic Vulnerabilities

III. Actions to Help the Current and Future Impacts of Climate

Change on Islands------------------------------------------ 4
a. Implementing Governance
b. Strategies to help the Resilience of Climate Change
c. Spreading Awareness at a Global Scale
IV. How Suggested Actions will Help With Climate Change Impacts
a. Governance Help
b. How Strategies Impact the Effects Felt by Islands
c. How Spreading Awareness will Help Climate Change

V. Conclusion and Solutions---------------------------------- 5

VI. References--------------------------------------------------- 6
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Table of Figures

I. Figures
VII. Figure 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1
a. Figure 2 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3
b. Figure 3 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4

Introduction and Abstract

What is Climate Change and Why Is It Significant on Islands?
Climate change has been an ongoing point of discussion in our world for many years. It is
described as changes of weather patterns caused by global warming that induces negative effects
on ecosystems worldwide. Small island developing states (SIDS) have been especially targeted
by the effects of climate change and are vulnerable to more future impacts (Thomas et al., 2020).
Climate change is a serious threat to island ecosystems that has the potential for catastrophe if
nothing is to be done about this issue. Given that islands are not very far above sea-level due to
their volcanic nature, the effects of climate change will impact them more drastically in
comparison to other larger land masses (Salem 2020). Changes in the climate could even
endanger islanders from access to freshwater and face more severe weather (Pacific Climate
Change). Overall, islands can be impacted environmentally, economically, and even politically
as a result of the effects brought on by climate change. My proposed solution to help with this
issue is to spread awareness to places globally. There are many organizations that help coastal
communities in the US, if this information is presented in different languages to make it
accessible to others around the world, it will bring us one step closer to helping the effects of
climate change. Another important action is to advocate for strategies that island inhabitants can
begin to practice and encourage the implementation of governance on climate matters.
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The Environmental and Economic Effects of Climate Change on

Islands
Rising Sea Levels
Rising sea levels is affecting islands across the globe and are causing changes in coastal
populations. There have been predictions made about the rate at which sea levels should be rising
that was based off of geological records from the last 4,000 years. However, the actual rate of
rising sea levels has been found to be much higher than this predicted rate (Sea Level
Reconstructions). Rising sea level can cause increase in coastal erosion and flooding from the
sea. Since islands typically sit at levels very close to sea levels, they are at an increase danger of
experiencing inundation and salinization in contrast to larger land masses. Studies have shown
that changes in temperature have a direct correlation to rising seal levels. As shown in Figure 3,
as the water temperature increases past 6 degrees Celsius, there is a significant spike in sea level
(Rising Sea Levels and Eroding Coastlines Infographic, 2013).

Figure 12: Rising sea levels is correlated to changes in water temperature (Rising Sea Levels and Eroding Coastlines
Infographic, 2013).

Changing Climate Circulation Patterns

Weather patterns are a big component of climate change. Changes in weather patterns have been
correlated to climate change and have since been labeled as one of the most impactful effects of
this phenomena. These changes can cause storms to deviate from what is considered to be
normally expected in that the strength, path, and length of the storms can become more severe
(Pacific Climate Change). Weather pattern changes are analyzed by grabbing data about the
direction and strength of trade winds, pressure changes, temperature, and present storms. The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has used that data to realize future predictions in
the changes of the weather patterns to better inform people about the effects that these changes
will have. One of the important predictions that will affect the erosion and flooding that an island
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might experience are the wave predictions analyzed by this tool. Atmospheric circulation
patterns are also changing as a result of ongoing climate change. This will greatly impact the
means in which people travel given that airplanes rely heavily on atmospheric circulation
processes (Pacific Climate Change). It is predicted that further atmospheric changes can cost
airlines millions of dollars to alter flight trajectories.
Another pattern that is realized from the effects of climate change is the rising temperatures both
on land and in the ocean. The average temperature in 2018 was recorded to be 2.1 degrees
Fahrenheit above what is considered
to be normal for Pacific Island
Nations. An increase like this can
become a trend in the following
years which could cause more
wildfires and droughts throughout
the globe. A rise in temperatures will
also exacerbate the strength at which
hurricanes hit islands causing more
damage to these small land masses
(Trouble in paradise: How does
climate change affect pacific island
nations?, 2019). The temperature
change will also impact the Figure 3 2: Geographic location of Oceanic Islands impacted by rising temperatures.
agriculture on Pacific Islands due
increases in precipitation and
droughts.

Economic Vulnerabilities
Not only can climate change cause negative impacts to island ecosystems, it can also directly
affect the economy. Just for the Pacific Islands specifically, an estimated 77,018 km of land is
expected to be impacted by rising levels. This is predicted come at a cost of 1.419 million USD
per year for efforts to help with the erosion and salinization of islands. Agriculture plays a big
role in the economy of many islands. Cash crops such as sugar cane and bananas are exported
from islands to support their local economy. However, if an island is unable to adapt to the
changes imposed by climate change, then this could cost islands such as Fiji as much as 23 to 52
million USD per year (Climate Change Impacts - Pacific Islands). This will also hold true for
fishery within islands where over-fishing could become an underlying problem to the economy
(Royle, 2014, pg. 45).
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Actions Solution that Need to be Taken to Help the Current and

Future Impacts of Climate Change on Islands
Implementing Governance
Many islanders are taking action to help with the effects of climate change and the future impacts
that it could have on islands. Measures such as implementing climate policies are being taken in
national governments to fortify climate change efforts. Examples of this are the climate policies
found within the Paris Climate Agreement which state that islands are able to recognize damages
and losses due to a worsening of hurricanes. Targets for greenhouse gas emissions were also
stated in other climate plans instituted by national governments in the hopes of decreasing
contributions made to the global emissions. Some communities have even begun using salt and
heat tolerant crops within the Marshall Islands (Mcleod et al., 2019).

Strategies to Help with Resilience of Climate Change

As a means to adapt to the changing environment caused by climate change, islanders have
begun to practice new strategies. One such strategy includes using climate-smart agriculture.
This means that farmers are using drought-tolerant species, increasing the fertility of soil by
composting, and reducing erosion by planting vegetation along coastlines. These efforts will
help increase food security and can also have positive impacts on the coastal ecosystems due to a
reduction of pollutants typically used in agriculture. Some islands are creating protected areas by
implementing watershed protection actions. Through this, a body of water is protected by
managing the water that is drained into it (Mcleod et al., 2019).

Spreading Awareness at a Global Scale

There are many organizations within the US that provide resources to inform the general public
about climate change and its effects. This is beneficial in that awareness is being spread and the
severity of this problem is being brought to the attention of a large audience. An important step
in helping to combat the damaging and irreversible effects of climate change would be to provide
resources and information about climate change to other countries and islands that are largely
affected. It would be especially important to make this information accessible in a language that
would be easy for the native inhabitants to understand. This would allow people to think of ways
to adapt their lifestyles to more environmentally friendly ways that wouldn’t exacerbate the
effects of climate change.

How Suggested Actions will Help with Climate Change Impacts

Governance Help
If inhabitants of these suffering islands find ways to encourage the implementation of
governance, it can help the effects of climate change that are felt by the islands. This is because
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governance to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gas emissions would help reduce the rate at
which Earth is increasing its sea level temperatures. Other governance measures such as helping
those suffering from severe weather patterns caused by climate change can help restore coastal
communities that are suffering. This would not only help the inhabitants but also the surrounding
ecosystem including marine life. Even governance to help educate the inhabitants of island
communities could help reduce the impacts felt by climate change.

How Strategies Impact Effects Felt by Islands

The use and implementation of different strategies on islands can significantly help coastal
communities fight back the effects of climate change. Actions to advocate for the practice of
climate-smart agriculture will help with the erosion and depletion of nutrients in soil. Not only
that, but it would provide inhabitants with a more secure source of food given that crops can be
genetically modified to withstand more extreme environmental conditions. This means that the
crops will adapt and inhabitants will be able to maintain a good source of income if this is what
they rely on as their job. Sometimes pollutants will damage the surrounding environment which
will also contribute to worsening conditions caused by climate change. Implementing climate-
smart agriculture practices will overall benefit islands and help reduce the effects felt by island
inhabitants and ecosystem due to climate change.

How Strategies Impact Effects Felt by Islands

Some island nations do not have the funds to create their own organizations that will help inform
inhabitants. However, if other countries help to make resources to inform those inhabitants easily
accessible, it could help decrease the effects of climate change at a global scale. Something as
simple as translating the information provided to languages commonly spoken on islands that are
more severely impacted by climate change can benefit these communities. They can learn more
about the strategies they can implement to help their environment and encourage them to
advocate for climate friendly governance.

Conclusion and Solutions

Climate changes have negative impacts on islands that are detrimental to their inhabitants,
ecosystem, and economy. These impacts will only be exacerbated with time if actions are not
taken to reduce the impact that humans have on global warming and efforts to help suffering
environments. Some communities within islands are already taking steps to help with climate
change through implementing climate-smart agriculture and watershed protection areas. For
those of us that are unable to directly help islands with this issue, we can bring about awareness
of the impact that islands around the world experience due to climate change. This means
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encouraging governance on climate policies even within local communities. Any action taken to
reduce the emission of greenhouse gases such as taking public transportation, riding a bike, or
purchasing electric vehicles can help reduce global warming and therefore decrease the impact of
climate change on islands.

References
The Climate Reality Project. (2019, March 14). Trouble in paradise: How does climate change
affect pacific island nations? The Climate Reality Project. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/trouble-paradise-how-does-climate-change-
affect-pacific-island-nations.

Coastal Systems Group. (n.d.). Pacific Climate Change. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://web.whoi.edu/coastal-
group/research/projects/pacific-climate-change/.

Coastal Systems Group. (n.d.). Sea level reconstructions. Coastal Systems Group. Retrieved
October 5, 2021, from https://web.whoi.edu/coastal-group/research/projects/sea-level-
reconstructions/.

The Global Mechanism. (n.d.). Climate Change Impacts - Pacific Islands. Florida Tech.
Retrieved October 5, 2021, from c

Mcleod, E., Bruton-Adams, M., Forster, J., Franco, C., Gaines, G., Gorong, B., James, R.,
Posing-Kulwaum, G., Tara, M., & Terk, E. (2019). Lessons From the Pacific Islands –
Adapting to Climate Change by Supporting Social and Ecological Resilience. Frontiers in
Marine Science, 6, 289. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00289

Rising Sea Levels and Eroding Coastlines Infographic. Inhabitat Green Design Innovation
Architecture Green Building. (2013, April 22). Retrieved October 19, 2021, from
https://inhabitat.com/infographic-shows-the-impact-of-rising-sea-levels-and-eroding-
coastlines/rising-sea-levels-infographic-full/.

Royle, S. A. (2014). Islands - nature and culture. Reaktion Books.

Salem, S. (2020, January 9). Climate change and the Sinking Island states in the Pacific. E-
International Relations. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://www.e-
ir.info/2020/01/09/climate-change-and-the-sinking-island-states-in-the-pacific/.

Thomas, A., Martyr-Koller, R., & Pringle, P. (2020, July 1). Climate change and small islands:
More scientific evidence of high risks. Climate Analytics Blog. Retrieved October 5, 2021,
from https://climateanalytics.org/blog/2020/climate-change-and-small-islands-more-
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