Rising sea levels caused by global warming are threatening the existence of several island nations. By the end of the twenty-first century, some of them may be completely submerged or become uninhabitable.

Countries Most at Risk of Disappearance

The most vulnerable are low-lying island nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. For them, sea-level rise is a matter of physical survival.

Tuvalu is the most famous state on the brink of extinction. The average height of this Pacific archipelago is just two meters above sea level. According to scientists, by the middle of the century, more than half of the country may be flooded. The government of Tuvalu has already signed an agreement with Australia for the gradual relocation of all eleven thousand citizens — this is the first official plan for the evacuation of an entire country due to climate change.

The Maldives is another striking example. The archipelago, consisting of more than a thousand islands, rises above the water by an average of just one meter. With a sea-level rise of forty-five centimeters, seventy-seven percent of the country's land will be destroyed. Experts estimate that the Maldives will inevitably be engulfed by the ocean.

Kiribati is a Pacific state whose fate, according to climatologists, is already predetermined. Even with a sea-level rise of ninety centimeters, the country may lose two-thirds of its area. Currently, the government of Kiribati is considering the possibility of creating a \"digital nation\" in the metaverse to preserve its culture after the physical disappearance of the country.

The Marshall Islands may also be completely submerged if current sea-level rise trends continue.

Other Countries Facing Catastrophic Consequences

In addition to complete disappearance, global warming threatens the loss of vast territories for other states as well.

• Bangladesh is one of the most affected large countries. Nearly seventy percent of its territory is less than one meter above sea level. Sea-level rise threatens to flood extensive coastal areas and force the relocation of tens of millions of people.
• Indonesia has already had to face the necessity of relocating its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on Borneo. The reason is the rapid flooding of the city. Jakarta subsides by five to ten centimeters annually due to excessive groundwater extraction, which, combined with sea-level rise, makes a significant part of the city uninhabitable.
• The Netherlands, although not disappearing, are in a zone of constant risk. A significant part of the country is already below sea level. However, unlike island nations, the Netherlands have resources and technologies for building complex protective structures.

Scale of Threat

Even in the most optimistic scenario of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, a sea-level rise of fifty centimeters by the end of the century will lead to the flooding of about three million buildings worldwide. According to scientists, up to two hundred and fifty million people may directly feel the impact of these changes.

Today, residents of the Solomon Islands are witnessing the disappearance of entire islands. For Tuvalu, the Maldives, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands, the future is already determined — global warming will inevitably lead to their disappearance from the political map of the world in the current century.

Permanent link to this publication: