ABSTRACT
Two islands have recently disappeared under the waves of the South Pacific Ocean. Tebua Tarawa and Abanuea, of the tiny island state Kiribati, have been flooded by rising sea levels.1 Neither of these two islands was inhabited, but many more are threatened, including the remaining thirty-three islands of Kiribati. Continuing sea-level rise could threaten the survival of thousands of islands whose highest points are often not more than a few metres above sea level, as well as other low-lying areas – among them many with substantial animal and human populations.
