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Coverstory A. BIJU KUMAR 8 Cover Story The mesmerising Maldivian island Climate change has hit islands hard with some in danger of disappearing completely as sea levels rise. Being the most vulnerable ecosystems with regard to climate change, there is a need to frame effective adaptive and A. BIJU KUMAR management policies specifically for the islands. Global warming and sea level rise, if Kiribati. The people of low-lying continued unabated, would affect the islands in Vanuatu, also in the Pacific, very existence of the nation and have been evacuated as a precaution, therefore the nation’s government is though the island still remains above HE world’s first underwater developing a plan to evacuate the entire the sea. The impacts of climate change cabinet meeting organised by country to new homes in Sri Lanka, are more pronounced in some low- the Maldivian president on 17 India or Australia in case of need! lying Pacific island nations as they are October 2009 was a symbolic The alarm bell is ticking not just slowly being submerged by the rising Tcry for help over rising sea levels that for the Maldives but also for many water levels of the Pacific Ocean.As the threaten the tropical archipelago’s islands across the globe. The New seas continue to swell, they will existence. This island archipelago Moore Island of India in the Sunderbans swallow whole island nations, from the nation off the tip of India, best known has been consumed recently by the Maldives to the Marshall Islands, rising sea—even as Bangladesh was for its mesmerising beauty and inundate vast areas of countries from also claiming its right over it! The New sparkling beaches, represented by Bangladesh to Egypt, and submerge Moore is not the first island to be 1,200 atolls, 80% of which are no more parts of a large number of coastal cities. submerged in the Sunderbans. The first than a metre above sea level, is among The islands are much more vulnerable inhabited island to have been the most threatened by rising seas. to the impacts of climate change and submerged by the rising sea level was In 2007, the United Nation’s subsequent sea level rise. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Lohachara. Once home to about 10,000 people, the island was submerged Change (IPCC) warned that a rise in What is Special About Island sea levels of between 18 and 59 under the sea in 1996. The submerging centimetres by 2100 would be enough of islands also results in migration of Biodiversity? to make the Maldives virtually people making them “environmental Islands encompass a diverse range of uninhabitable. The economy of this refugees”. territories, differing in landform, Indian Ocean island nation is The first uninhabited island to climate and biogeography. Nearly one supported by climate-sensitive vanish from the map due to sea level fourth of the world’s countries are activities like fishing and tourism. rise was the Pacific atoll nation of islands! With the legacy of a unique 8 SCIENCE REPORTER, September 2010 Cover Story Underwater cabinet meeting organised by the Maldivian President as a symbolic event on the impacts of climate change (left) Lohachara Island in the Sunderbans (bottom left); The Lakshadweep Islands— threatened! (bottom) evolutionary history, islands are Compared to the mainland, 572 islands in the territory, of which treasure troves of biodiversity. The islands have a disproportionately high only approximately 38 are species may become island dwellers number of endemic species. For permanently inhabited. Andaman and either by drifting or by dispersal. Once example, 50% of endemic bird areas are Nicobar Islands are blessed with they reach the islands, they are confined found on islands. Over 90% of unique tropical rainforests, made of a to small, isolated pockets, much away Hawaiian island species are endemic. mixed flora with elements from from the mainland. The formation of In Mauritius, about half of all higher Indian, Myanmarese, Malaysian and new islands and their isolation from plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and endemic floral strains. So far, these the mainland provides many amphibians are endemic, and the Islands are home to about 2,200 unoccupied niches for species to adapt Seychelles has the highest level of varieties of plants, out of which 200 to. amphibian endemism in the world. are endemic. In addition to these, a In the absence of many predators The island of Cuba is home to 18 wide spectrum of uninhabited islands and competitors, the newly arrived endemic mammals, while Madagascar is there in association with the Gulf of species may easily get established in is home to more than 8,000 endemic Mannar and the Sunderbans. the new niches available. As the species. In other words, island Islands are rich in ecosystem chances of breeding with mainland biodiversity is often very unique. diversity too, as within islands we may species are limited, through isolation Lakshadweep is the tiniest Union come across mountain forests to coastal (and with restricted gene pool), they Territory of India and this archipelago wetlands. These ecosystems provide develop into distinct species, some consists of 36 coral islands, 12 atolls, food, fresh water, wood, fibre, with highly specialized characteristics. three reefs and five submerged banks. medicines, fuel, tools and other This results in a high rate of endemism, Only 10 of these islands namely, important raw materials, in addition with species restricting their Agatti, Amini, Andrott, Bitra, Chetlat, to aesthetic, spiritual, educational and distribution to localized areas. The Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Kiltan recreational values. In fact, the adaptive radiation and origin of new and Minicoy are inhabited. Both livelihood and economic stability of species in the islands of Galapagos inhabited and uninhabited islands are the islands depend on its biodiversity. explained by Charles Darwin is well rich in biodiversity. Similarly, the Think about corals and mangroves documented in science. Andaman and Nicobar islands include that border island ecosystems. These SCIENCE REPORTER, September 2010 9 Cover Story Vanuatu Island unique ecosystems provide a wide array of ecosystem services, including defence against natural disasters, support to recycling of nutrients, and Kiribati Island regulation of microclimate. They also act as homes and nursery grounds of hundreds of marine species. Above all, biodiversity of islands not only including tourism. Conversely, remote supports the economy and food Vulnerability of Islands Each island ecosystem is unique in its islands did not receive popular security of the islands but also attention, though the impacts are determines the livelihood and cultural biological character and therefore even slight changes in environmental severe. identity of 600 million island-dwelling conditions may drastically impact Over the past century, island people across the world. biodiversity and life of human species biodiversity has been subject to intense Coral reefs provide an estimated inhabiting there. These ecosystems are pressure from anthropogenic US$ 375 billion per year in goods and fragile, often comprising species that interventions in the form of habitat services to the world. This includes have evolved in the absence of destruction, introduction of invasive support for marine fisheries, which aggressive competitors, diseases or alien species, over-exploitation, and provide the principal protein source predators. Though they are more more importantly pollution and for many island populations. The biodiverse than mainland regions and climate change. Of the 724 recorded Lakshadweep is a coral island. Coral the degree of endemism is high, the animal extinctions in the last 400 years, reef ecosystems around Indian islands small size of populations and about half were island species! We have are home to hundreds of marine separation restricts movement and the classical example of Dodo in the ornamental fishes. United Nations gene flow, limiting the ability for islands of Mauritius as a symbol of Environment Programme (UNEP) recolonization following catastrophic extinction. estimated the value of coral reefs as events. Many of the islands are thickly The impacts of climate change and between US$100,000 to US$600,000 per populated and there are pressures from related events are much more square kilometre a year! human developmental activities, effervescent in islands than any other Rich biodiversity in the Lakshadweep Islands Cover Story New Moore Island of India TheThe NewNew MooreMoore IslandIsland ofof IndiaIndia inin thethe SunderbansSunderbans hashas beenbeen consumedconsumed recentlyrecently byby thethe risingrising sea—evensea—even asas BangladeshBangladesh waswas alsoalso claimingclaiming itsits rightright overover it!it! TheThe NewNew MooreMoore isis notnot thethe firstfirst islandisland toto bebe submergedsubmerged inin thethe Sunderbans.Sunderbans. ecosystem in the world. The most predict that average sea level could rise of the sea and saltwater intrusion into significant impacts of climate change by as much as 21 centimetres by 2025 freshwater lenses, contributing to an are sea level and sea-surface and 66 centimetres by 2100, may lead increasing shortage of water supply temperature (SST) rise. Because most to inundation, storm surge or shoreline and loss of agricultural land. Water small islands are low lying and have a erosion, with the potential to destroy stresses caused by climate change will large exposure of coasts in relation to island economies. have terrific impacts on poor rural landmass, as well as a high Climate change is expected to people reliant on water resources for concentration of population in coastal cause serious degradation of the coastal their livelihoods. Ocean warming, zones, islands are extremely environment and natural resources on frequent tropical cyclones, flash floods vulnerable to sea-level rise. Experts which poor rural people depend. and droughts are likely to have Higher rates of erosion and coastal dramatic impact on food production A member of the land loss are expected in many islands system in islands. This would also Jarawa tribe as a consequence of the projected affect export of agricultural produce inhabiting the increase in sea level.
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