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.

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.

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.