The Marshall Islands are facing the catastrophic effects of climate change. In this climate-vulnerable country, local activists are working to save their nation.
A beach in the Marshall Islands. Pik Repo. CC BY 2.0.
The Marshall Islands, one of the smallest countries on Earth, comprises more than 1,200 islands in the central Pacific Ocean. After decades under U.S. control, the Marshall Islands became independent in 1986, though the islands are still home to key test sites in the U.S. missile defense network. This tiny island nation has a population of just under 78,000, with the majority of islanders living on the atolls of Majuro and Ebeye.
The Marshall Islands are incredibly climate vulnerable. Over the past several decades, this low-lying nation has become overwhelmed by rising sea levels. In October 2019, the Marshall Islands officially declared a climate crisis. Without policy and tangible action needed to prevent rising sea levels, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that sea levels could rise up to 4 feet by 2100, which would make the Marshall Islands uninhabitable by 2050.
Leading the fight for global leaders to take action is Marshallese youth climate activist Litokne Kabua. Kabua is leading a group of 16 youth activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, in petitioning the United Nations to engage with the catastrophic effects of climate change on the Marshall Islands. Under the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child, countries have an obligation to protect the lives of children. Because of the imminent threat of the climate crisis, these conditions are at risk. Through this rationale, youth activists have submitted a petition demanding that nations combat climate change rapidly and actively.
In an op-ed for The Elders, Kabua writes: “Climate change will play a big role in destroying the future of our children, all of our children, and the children of future generations. If we take action today, while climate change will not go away it could still reduce to a significant level allowing us to live and prosper, we could still live a sustainable life.”
Hilda Heine, former president of the Marshall Islands, giving a speech. Sean Wu. CC BY 2.0.
The former president of the Marshall Islands, Hilda Heine, is another global advocate for the islands. In an interview with NPR, Heine said: “Prolonged and unseasonal droughts are hitting us real hard, and salt water is creeping into our freshwater lands. We are on the very front line of climate change. We need resources. We need support.”
The Marshall Islands are struggling with the catastrophic ramifications of climate change. Without immediate change, the islands face submersion. But in efforts to preserve their island nation, activists like Litokne Kabua and Hilda Heine are working fiercely to champion their home.
Sarah Leidich
is currently an English and Film major at Barnard College of Columbia University. Sarah is inspired by global art in every form, and hopes to explore the intersection of activism, art, and storytelling through her writing.