High Tide or Low Tide? The Case of the Disappearing Islands

When queried about how many islands there were in her country, the delegate of the Philippines to the 1994 Ms. Universe beauty pageant came back with a query of her own: “High tide or low tide?” Now, that was one memorable answer that may or may not have cost her the title, depending on who you ask.

In light of the effects of climate change sitting like a thousand bombs with travel alarm clocks for timers, the high tide or low tide answer is no laughing matter today. Many island-nations are in great jeopardy of sinking under increasing sea levels brought by, what else, climate change.

So, before these countries sink like the Titanic, better get your passport holder out and take a vacation there!

Tuvalu

The world’s fourth smallest country, Tuvalu may well become a non-existent country in half a century, if and when the rate of climate change keeps up its pace. Then the world can say bye-bye to magnificent lagoons, atolls, coral reefs and islands of this South Seas paradise!

With its highest elevation at just 4.5 meters above sea level, even a small tsunami can wipe out Tuvalu off the map. In fact, regular flooding is an accepted lifestyle here but fast-rising seas are another matter altogether.

And even its government is mindful of this fact. It has made arranegements with New Zealand to grant 75 Tuvalu citizens environmental refugee status every year. Think of it as slowly but surely ensuring that the Tuvalu genes be passed on for many more generations to come although in a faraway land.

Maldives

Probably at greater risk than Tuvalu is the Indian Ocean paradise of the Maldives. Its highest elevation is a mere 2.4 meters above sea level, which means that relatively small changes in sea level can erase much of the Maldives. In fact, even abnormally high tides have wiped out huge areas of land and, in the process, wiping out crops and polluting the water supply!

Maldives is the type of Robinson Crusoe islands where time appears to have stood still. But if the effects of abrupt climate change manifest in the island-paradise, there will come a time when it is but a memory in time.

The moral of the story: Please do your role in preserving the plant. Many people half a world away needs our enlightened awareness and positive action to ensure that many more generations will enjoy their island paradise. And that means your travel alarm clocks can also see some action there!