"Sea levels in the Pacific are predicted to rise by 15 cm or more by the 2050s, regardless of global carbon-emission reductions. When this happens, parts of Tuvalu - a group of nine main islands midway between Hawaii and Australia - will vanish forever. "It's going to be a significant loss for our people," says Taukiei Kitara, who was born on Nui, a Tuvaluan atoll."
"The effect on Tuvalu, which has an average elevation of less than 2 metres above sea level, is severe. Increasingly warmer waters have bleached corals and forced fishermen farther out to sea. Seawater has seeped into the water table, forcing Tuvaluans to grow swamp taro and other staple crops in raised garden beds rather than underground pits - a practice that dates back thousands of years."
Coastal residents are actively defending their neighborhoods by building sea walls, cultivating coral nurseries, and documenting flooding events and cultural artefacts. Scientists from Tuvalu, New York City, and Hong Kong support community advocacy, training, and protection to strengthen local resilience. Pacific sea levels are projected to rise by at least 15 cm by the 2050s, threatening to erase low-lying islands and disrupt food systems. Tuvalu faces coral bleaching, coastal erosion, seawater intrusion into freshwater tables, and shifts in agricultural practices to raised beds. Migration pathways such as Australian visas provide one response option for some residents.
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