For decades, it has been commonly accepted that climate change is a real issue that may have devastating consequences for our planet.
From the destruction of the ozone layer to the poles melting, these issues sound apocalyptic, and in many ways they are. Of the scariest possibilities prognosticated by scientists happen is the disappearance of entire countries due to climate change-related issues, and many believe it could happen before 2050.
But how can we know that countries may disappear before 2050? There are many sources like the World Atlas that have extensively detailed what indicators could give clues on whether or not a country may disappear.
Some of the most significant ones include environmental, geographical and socioeconomic indicators, which could potentially contribute to the disappearance of countries in the near future. It is also worth mentioning that countries will most likely not disappear entirely, instead, the most likely scenario is that countries will lose a significant amount of their territory due to rising sea levels.
Five countries that may disappear in the near future due to climate change
Maldives
Currently, the Maldives experiences a sea level rise per year of 2.3mm. This means that the archipelago of flat islands in the Indian Ocean currently faces a complex geographical challenge. Less than 80% of the country’s land islands are positioned more than one meter above sea level, and the country’s economy is largely dependent on tourism-related activities.
This is bad news for the islands, given that most of the island’s settlements are located just 100 meters from the sea coast.
The country is currently creating artificial Islands to ensure it doesn’t disappear for climate-related reasons, as well as ongoing efforts to relocate its population to higher grounds within the island.
Vietnam
Just like Maldives, Vietnam is facing a very complex threat with sea levels rising at a very fast pace. For a country with a fair amount of rivers, and other water bodies, this would mean that if sea levels continued to rise, it would flood rivers, and would make rice fields brackish. The potential damage would be a very significant blow to one of Vietnam’s main products for export and internal consumption, which would challenge the country’s food chain and safety.
Additionally, the World Bank has warned of a potential temperature increase of three degrees Celsius in the country. This would also increase the likelihood of Vietnam joining the list of countries that may disappear – or at least lose significant territory – due to climate change.
Samoa
Samoa is perhaps one of the nations currently getting hit the hardest by climate change. The seven islands are currently experiencing a sea level rise per year of four millimeters, which alongside the sea getting warmer and thus damaging their natural protection against the ocean, coral reefs, are increasingly likely to be one of the countries that disappear due to climate change-related issues.
Fiji
Fiji is another set of islands that is at risk due to rising sea levels and climate change-related hardships. Fiji currently experiences a sea level rise per year of six meters, which would seriously endanger the country thanks to its low-lying topography.
Over the last three years, some villages like the one at Vunidogoloa, have already been forced to move. Indeed, a World Bank report says that some villages in Fiji have already lost 15 to 20 meters of land because the mangroves are disappearing.
Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands are a collection of 990 Islands that are located between the Solomon and Santa Cruz archipelagos in the Indian Ocean. These islands have a collection of beautiful landscapes and might be the first country to actually disappear due to climate change hardships. Five of the Solomon Islands are already underwater, and six others are already 20% submerged.
The islands are also experiencing a sea level rise of 8 mm, and efforts are already underway to place people, animals, and vegetation in higher locations.