Summary
Much current evidence suggests that global temperatures are slowly increasing. It is believed that this increase will be associated with a sea level rise. Tuvalu, approximately 1000 km north of Fiji in the South Pacific Ocean, is one of six countries, all of them island states, that “could face total destruction when sea levels rise…. If sea level rises occur anywhere near the extreme projections that have been made, we can write these nations off the map.” (Pernetta, 1988). This paper examines possible implications to the people of Tuvalu.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baines, G. and McLean, R. 1976. Sequential studies of hurricane deposit evolution at Funafuti Atoll.Marine Geology,21.
Ball, D. 1973.Funafuti Ellice Islands: Physical Development Plan. Building Research Establishment/Department of the Environment, Watford, UK.
Lewis, J. 1988. Sea-level Rise: Tonga, Tuvalu (Kiribati). Report on behalf of the Commonwealth Expert Group on Climate Change and Sea-level Rise. December.
Pernetta, J.C. 1988. Report inThe Observer (Geoffrey Lean), 9th October.
UNEP. 1988. Report of the Joint Meeting on Implications of Climate Changes, Split. United Nations Environment Programme. (These assumptions were accepted at the UNEP/ICSU/WMO International Conference, Villach, October 1985, and incorporated into the work of the Commonwealth Expert Group.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
James Lewis is a Fellow in Development Studies at the University of Bath, UK. This paper is based on the report of a field mission by the author on behalf of The Commonwealth Expert Group on Climate Change and Sea Level Rise (Lewis, 1988).
Since submission of this article, James Lewis has taken part as a resource person at the Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise at Male, capital of the Maldives, 14th to 18th, November, 1989. A report of the Conference will be submitted for a subsequent issue ofThe Environmentalist.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lewis, J. Sea level rise: Some implications for Tuvalu. Environmentalist 9, 269–275 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02241827
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02241827