Читать книгу Climate Change For Dummies - Elizabeth May - Страница 26

You probably aren’t surprised to hear that when it comes to climate change, rising sea levels and more extreme storms create an enormous risk for small islands everywhere, such as the South Pacific island of Tuvalu. Some islands will simply disappear due to rising sea levels if global efforts to limit global warming aren’t successful. Here are other climate-related concerns for small island nations:

 Forests vulnerable to major storms: Storms can easily topple island forests because a forest’s small area doesn’t provide much of a buffer and the root systems of trees are generally quite shallow on islands.

 Limited resources: Some islands can’t adapt physically and/or financially.

 Proximity of population to the ocean: At least 50 percent of island populations live within a mile (1.5 kilometers) of water, and these populations are threatened by rising sea levels. Tsunamis (they used to be called tidal waves) caused by earthquakes and volcanoes, and storm surges from hurricanes and typhoons do much more damage when the ordinary level of the sea surrounding an island is even a little higher than it used to be.

 Risks to drinkable water: The intrusion of ocean saltwater because of rising sea levels could contaminate islands’ drinkable water, which is already limited on most islands.

 Reliance on tourism: Beach erosion and coral reef damage, two possible effects of climate change, would undermine tourism, which many islands rely on for their source of income.

 Vulnerable agriculture: Island agriculture, often a key part of the local economy, is extremely susceptible to harmful saltwater intrusions, as well as floods and droughts.