The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a small collection of islands and atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, combining to be about 181 square kilometers in total, making it only slightly larger than Washington, D.C., according to nps.gov.  With a population of around 37,000 people, the nation struggles to have input in the global conversation on climate change, according to The New York Times.  However, as rising sea levels and environmental changes threaten to displace their inhabitants, the Marshall Islands fight for the change needed to save their country.

This is not the first experience the nation has had facing devastating environmental effects with inadequate assistance.  In the midst of World War II, the United States (US) took control of the Marshall Islands and used one of their atolls, Bikini Atoll, as a test site for nuclear weapons.  On this atoll, the US conducted 67 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958, according to unesco.org.  This testing devastated the land and its surroundings.  In addition, all of the nation’s atolls received some level of radioactive fallout depending on their proximity to the test site, according to greenpeace.org.  Afterwards, the Marshallese people felt as though they had not received the proper compensation for the lasting impact of these nuclear tests.  70 years later, they are still fighting to be heard, according to theguardian.com.

Alongside nuclear radiation, climate change has consistently posed an intense threat to the Marshall Islands and their people, as the average elevation among the islands is only two meters above sea level, according to hakaimagazine.com.  In recent decades, sea levels have continued to rise, and since 1993, the ocean surrounding the islands and atolls has risen by over 12 centimeters, according to hakaimagazine.com.  Floods devastate neighborhoods regularly, forcing the Marshallese people to confront the deadliest consequences of modern-day climate change.

Invasive flooding has forced the nation to reshape its landscape.  The Marshall Islands have relocated government buildings to higher ground to protect them in case of extreme flooding, and sea walls now surround its capital, Majuro Atoll, as well as other populated islands and atolls.  Madame President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands commented on the environmental changes inflicted on her nation’s capital.

“Seven years ago, Majuro had no sea walls,” Madame Heine said, according to The New York Times.  “[…] I mean, we used to be able to just walk into the lagoon.  Now you have to go over sea walls to get to the lagoon side or to the ocean side.”

Facing the greatest threat to their nation, the Marshall Islands fought climate change both locally and globally.  Representatives of the Marshall Islands were heavily involved in the creation of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, an international treaty that 196 countries adopted to slow global warming.  The agreement remains the most wide-reaching climate agreement to date, putting the dangerous reality of global warming into the public eye.  The Marshall Islands specifically advocated for the limit of the global temperature increase to only 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to the un.org

Despite consistent efforts to quell the effects of global warming, the Marshall Islands still face potentially catastrophic threats, with the possibility of their home submerging only increasing yearly.  They risk permanently losing their home by 2050 if sea levels continue to rise at the current rate, according to The New York Times.

Climate change not only threatens the islands physically but also economically.  Tuna is one of the country’s primary exports and is responsible for about 30 percent of the nation’s revenue.  However, as waters heat up, tuna migrate further away from the islands in search of cooler waters, according to The New York Times.  As the nation’s land continues to be ravaged by floods, the Marshallese people are losing a large part of their income, hindering their ability to fund preventative measures and research fighting against rising sea levels.

Even in the face of the unimaginable, the Marshall Islands’ inhabitants remain hopeful that they can save their home.  They have taken charge and crafted a National Adaptation Plan, a document that carefully plans out exactly what needs to be done to save their islands, according to rmigov.com.  The adaptation plan consists of over 200 pages of detailed procedures on how to save the Marshall Islands, including social, political, environmental, and economic actions required to protect the islands.  Experts claim it to be the most thorough and complete National Adaptation Plan in the world to date, according to hakaimagazine.com. 

The Marshall Islands have also presented their case on the global stage.  In September 2025, they participated in The New York Times Climate Forward event held in New York City.  There, Madame Heine expressed her continued frustration with the lack of action from larger countries.

“This is the 10th year of the Paris Agreement, and we’ve been hearing the same excuses from big emitters,” Ms. Heine said, according to The New York Times. “You know, they’re very comfortable, and they don’t want to move from their comfort level.”

Ms. Heine claimed that countries emitting large amounts of CO2 need to take accountability for the effects they’ve had on the global environment.  She suggested they can do so by funding the plans the Marshall Islands have to save their communities. 

“The plan for elevating only two of our communities is projected to cost us billions,” Madame Heine said, according to The New York Times.  “I wish that the big emitters could step up and put money into that, because that could really help.”

While the current future of the Marshall Islands looks uncertain, the Marshallese people refuse to give up hope.  Continued planning and research by the Marshall Islands into fortifying the land and slowing the rise of sea levels will help fight the effects of climate change, according to The New York Times.  However, the nation’s efforts alone will not save their home.  Global collaboration is essential to stopping the harmful effects of climate change, according to The New York Times.

This is true not only for the Marshall Islands but also for populations affected by global warming across the globe.  Even if the repercussions of climate change are not as devastating as they are in the Marshall Islands, they are still present in local communities.  Mr. Jason Bink, Upper School Science teacher, noticed how climate change has impacted his community.

“Locally, I notice that summer temperatures last longer [the] fall season is shorter, and winter is more mild, so white Christmases have gone from a regular to an irregular occurrence,” Mr. Bink said.  “[The] cost of some foods has gone up due to production problems related to drought or pests.”

Featured Image by Emilia Oliva ’27