13 Islands That Will Disappear in the Next 80 Years

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands, a group of nearly 1,000 islands and atolls in the South Pacific, are slowly being taken over by the sea, making this one of the important places to visit before they disappear. In fact, the sea level has risen by around 8 millimeters per year since 1993. It is rising so fast that the provincial capital of Choiseul is just 6.6 feet above sea level, and a new town is being built for residents to relocate to. According to a 2016 paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, five reef islands have already disappeared, and several villages that had stood since 1935 were destroyed on other islands with receding shorelines.

Maldives

The popular and beautiful Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean that’s home to many lush resorts and even a variety of underwater hotels, is also slowly being covered by the ocean. According to the CIA, the low elevation of the islands makes them sensitive to the sea level rising. The World Bank says that at the current projections of sea level rise, the entire country could be underwater by the year 2100.

Palau

A paper published in collaboration between the Palau National Weather Service Office and the Pacific Climate Change Science Program says that the sea level has risen in Palau, located in the South Pacific, by about 0.35 inches per year since 1993, about three times the global average. It is expected to continue to rise by up to 24 more inches by the year 2090. Public Radio International reports that residents who say their yards are flooding during some full moon high tides are considering moving to a new country. The island, one of the most remote places on earth, also has famous non-stinging jellyfish that are disappearing, which may also be due to climate change.

Micronesia

Micronesia is a country made up of 607 islands located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Its mere 270 square miles of land are filled with mountains, mangroves, lagoons and beaches. Due to increasing sea levels, the nation has seen several islands disappear within recent memory, while others have been severely reduced in size, according to the Journal of Coastal Conservation.

Fiji

The Pacific Islands of Fiji, home to some of the most peaceful places on earth, are also low-lying and vulnerable to changes in ocean levels. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change says that the village of Vunidogoloa was the first to begin relocating because of the rapid sea level rise, which is continuing to worsen.

A World Bank report says that over the last few decades, some villages have reported a loss of 15 to 20 meters of shoreline due to loss of mangroves. Sea levels are expected to rise up to 43 centimeters by 2050, according to the report. Rises in ocean temperatures also affect the coral reefs, resulting in coral bleaching that turns the coral white and makes it vulnerable to disease.

Tuvalu

The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, a remote and beautiful country in the South Pacific, has stated that “sea level rise and more severe weather events loom as a growing threat to our entire population.” The Tuvalu government says it’s one of the most vulnerable places on earth to the impact of rising sea levels, which could bring complete disaster to its 10,000 residents.

Seychelles

Off the east coast of Africa, the Seychelles are experiencing an unprecedented rise in sea levels compared with the last 6,000 years, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. With around 85% of the country’s development sitting on coastlines, rising sea levels can be catastrophic. The Seychelles News Agency reports that just a one-meter rise could cover many of its low-lying islands and inhabited coastal areas, which would be a 70% loss of its land mass. Mangrove forests and coral reefs are also at severe risk.

Kiribati

There’s a plan to move everyone who lives on this island in the central Pacific completely off due to increasing water levels. The president of Kiribati, an independent republic, looked to buy land in Fiji in 2012 as “climate change insurance” for the island’s population. The president was quoted as saying, “Moving won’t be a matter of choice. It’s basically going to be a matter of survival.” He has said his country will become uninhabitable by 2050. In addition to rising sea levels, ocean pollution is a serious problem.

Cook Islands

Described by its tourism board as “like Hawaii was 50 years ago,” the Cook Islands, a secret island escape off New Zealand, are another set of islands affected by rising sea levels. With a predicted increase in ocean levels of up to 55 centimeters by the year 2090, the rising waters are expected to damage roads, bridges, ports and runways, which will affect both residents and tourism.

French Polynesia

Made up of popular tropical retreats like Bora Bora, Tahiti and the Society Islands, French Polynesia is on many a traveler’s bucket list thanks to their beautiful scenery and iconic overwater bungalows. But in the next hundred years, it may no longer be a travel option. A paper published in Nature Conservation predicted that 30% of French Polynesia’s islands will be overtaken by water by the end of the century. As an alternative to moving to a new country, the government is considering building “floating islands” for residents near Tahiti with the hopes of attracting tech companies to the concept.

Tangier Island, Virginia

Even the United States is affected by rising sea levels. Tangier Island, about 12 miles off the east coast in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, is only accessible by boat or plane. Bikes and golf carts are main modes of transportation in this “soft crab capital of the nation,” and the island is made up of narrow streets, natural beaches, charming gift stores and ice cream shops. However, more than 60% of the island has been lost to the sea since 1850, according to Nature.com, with the remaining expected to be submerged within the next 25 to 50 years.

Marshall Islands

Water levels are rising on the Marshall Islands, a group of islands halfway between Hawaii and Australia known for their friendly locals and stunning coral reefs. Increasing at a rate of 7 millimeters per year, according to a brochure produced by the Marshall Islands National Weather Service Office and the Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning Program, the rise is about double the global average. The project estimates that water levels will continue to rise by 7.5 inches by 2030, increasing storm surge and coastal flooding.

Shishmaref, Alaska

This small island with a population of just 650 has slowly been disappearing into the sea over the last 50 years, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), losing 100 feet since 1997. The DOI says the entire island will be gone within the next 20 years. One resident, Esau Sinnok, says he’s had to move in and out of 13 houses due to the loss of land. Though residents voted to relocate from this island, which is accessible only by plane, a lack of funding makes these efforts difficult. The situation is quite dire, and residents are facing evacuation.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Visit Solomons: “Weather”
• IOP Science: “Environmental Research Letters”
• World Bank: “Climate Change in the Maldives”
• The World: “Climate change brings a new wrinkle to life on Palau’s islands: Fear of the sea”
• Pacific Climate Change Portal: “Palau”
• Journal of Coastal Conservation: “Identifying and assessing evidence for recent shoreline change attributable to uncommonly rapid sea-level rise in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, Northwest Pacific Ocean”
• United Nations Climate Change: “How Fiji is Impacted by Climate Change”
• World Bank: “Cities, Seas, and Storms Managing Change in Pacific Island Economies”
• National Ocean Service: “What is coral bleaching?”
• Britannica: “Tuvalu”
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences: “Sea level and global ice volumes from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene”
• Seychelles News Agency: “An uncertain future for Seychelles? Study shows sea levels are at their highest in the past 6,000 years”
• U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction: “Migration not a matter of choice but survival, says Kiribati President”
• Cook Islands: “Why the Cook Islands”
• Nature Conservation: “Potential impact of sea level rise on French islands worldwide”
• Reuters: “Faced with rising seas, French Polynesia ponders floating islands”
• Virginia.org: “Tangier Island”
• Scientific Reports: “Climate Change and the Evolution and Fate of the Tangier Islands of Chesapeake Bay, USA”
• Pacific Climate Change Science: “Pacific-Australia Climate Change Science and Adaptation Planning Program”
• Arctic Change: “Human and Economic Indicators – Shishmaref”