Islands First

Previous studies have suggested that the expected global warming from the greenhouse effect could raise sea level 50 to 200 centimeters (2 to 7 feet) in the next century. 7 An island state that wants to protect itself from sea-level rise has a limited scope of solutions. Such proposed solutions include pumping sand onto beaches to gradually raise barrier islands, and use of levees, dikes and bulkheads to protect developed areas, and of course: abandonment of coastal areas.8 However, the first two solutions are proposed with the assumption that a small island economy of scale would have the resources to enact such solutions. According to the United Nations, about 50 million people will become environmental refugees by the end of this decade. The U.N. estimates about 40 percent of the world's population lives near the coast and most of the world's largest cities are on the coast or estuaries.9 For island cultures that are rooted in costal living, amenities and services, relocation of communities will greatly impact island identity, culture and economy.