The Frontline

This is The Frontline. Featuring four coastal nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis — Belize, Niue, Tuvalu, and The Bahamas — these stories illustrate how small island states and low-lying coastal nations are experiencing the impacts of climate change, from coastal erosion to sea level rise and extreme weather events, and what these countries are doing to respond.

Monkey River, a coastal community in southern Belize, is grappling with the severe impacts of an escalating climate crisis. This community has witnessed the disappearance of its once thriving beach — a vibrant tapestry of biodiversity and a vital pillar of its ecotourism industry — due to relentless sea level rise and erosion. This scene is just a glimpse of the country’s ongoing battle with climate change, as homes have succumbed to the encroaching sea, and even the cemetery, a revered resting place for generations, is now underwater. But the determined and innovative community of Monkey River continues to face these challenges head-on.

The remote island nation of Niue thrives on a culture deeply connected to the ocean. But as Niue grapples with rising sea levels and increasingly severe weather — events that have even led to the destruction of the country’s museum — the climate crisis is exacting a toll of immeasurable significance: the erosion of Niue’s traditions, language, and culture.

With the highest point of the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu just two meters above sea level, rising sea levels are poised to devastate the country — 95% of the islands are projected to be underwater by the end of the century, and changing weather patterns are bringing more frequent and prolonged droughts, devastating vital farmland. But Tuvaluans are pioneering long-term solutions to turn the tide, cultivating sustainable food security measures and developing coastal adaptation infrastructure that can be applied across the Pacific.

In 2019, Hurricane Dorian left 70,000 Bahamians homeless and caused $3.4 billion in damage. In the aftermath, The Bahamas came together to revitalize communities and ecosystems devastated by the storm. Natural resources like mangroves and coral reefs are the first line of defense against weather events, acting as buffers that mitigate the severity of floods and storm surges. But climate change is weakening these vital habitats and increasing the intensity and frequency of catastrophic storms. Still reeling from the destruction, Bahamians remain united and resilient, working to restore the terrestrial and marine environment and prepare for future disasters.