Local observations of impacts and responses to climate change in the Marshall Islands

Abstract

Climate change and sea-level rise impact on people’s lives, particularly those living on low-lying islands. To be effective, adaptation to climate change requires understanding the specific ways it affects people’s lives, yet evidence of this in small island states remains scarce. In this paper we present the results from a mixed-method study engaging with 1362 people living across 15 islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which is one of four countries comprised entirely of low-lying atoll and reef islands. These data show that local people observe increasing inundation and erosion during high tides and storms, increasing salination of soils, and increasing air temperatures, all o..