How are climate change and the sea level rise affecting the very existence of many island nations? Discuss with examples.
Approach · directive: “how / discuss”
What it asks · Explain the physical, economic and legal ways in which warming and rising seas threaten the survival of island states, with specific examples.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Explain how climate change and sea-level rise threaten the very existence of island nations — physical, economic, social and legal dimensions
- Discuss with examples: specific island states, events and responses
Open with · For low-lying atoll nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and the Maldives, much of the land lies only a metre or two above the sea — climate change is an existential issue.
Cover
- Inundation and coastal erosion shrink habitable land; king tides already flood settlements and airports.
- Saltwater intrusion into thin freshwater lenses ruins drinking water and root crops such as pulaka (taro) in Tuvalu.
- Stronger cyclones and storm surges (e.g., Cyclone Pam, Vanuatu, 2015) wipe out a large share of GDP in a single event.
- Coral bleaching removes natural sea defences and damages fisheries and tourism — the mainstay of island economies.
- Existential questions: loss of territory threatens statehood, maritime zones (EEZs) and citizenship; planned migration arrangements are emerging.
- Global response: loss and damage funding, adaptation finance, the push for 1.5°C, and legal action at the International Court of Justice.
Close with · Island nations need deep global emission cuts, dependable adaptation finance and legal guarantees that statehood survives even if land does not.
Add value (verified)
- The UN notes that SIDS together hold about 65 million people — under 1% of humanity — yet face unique vulnerabilities. About Small Island Developing States — UN-OHRLLS ↗“The aggregate population of all the SIDS is 65 million, slightly less than 1% of the world’s population, yet this group faces unique social, economic, and environmental challenges.”
- On 23 July 2025 the International Court of Justice gave its Advisory Opinion, sought by the UN General Assembly, on States' obligations in respect of climate change. Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change — International Court of Justice ↗“23 July 2025 Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change - The Court gives its Advisory Opinion and responds to the questions posed by the General Assembly”
- Tuvalu amended its Constitution in 2023 to declare its statehood permanent and its maritime zones unaffected by loss of land. Tuvalu's Contribution to the Secretary-General's Report on Sea-Level Rise — UN DESA (sdgs.un.org) ↗“In 2023, Tuvalu amended its Constitution to enshrine the principle of statehood in perpetuity and to guarantee that Tuvalu’s maritime zones, as established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), remain permanent and unaffected by any physical changes to its land territory.”
- Under the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty (signed November 2023), Australia recognises Tuvalu's sovereignty in perpetuity regardless of sea-level rise. Tuvalu's Contribution to the Secretary-General's Report on Sea-Level Rise — UN DESA (sdgs.un.org) ↗“Under the Treaty, Australia has made a binding legal commitment to recognize Tuvalu’s sovereignty in perpetuity, irrespective of the effects of sea-level rise on Tuvalu’s physical territory.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2025, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 214 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
For atoll nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and the Maldives, most land lies barely a metre or two above the sea; small island states hold 65 million people, under 1% of humanity, yet face a threat to their very existence.
Physical erosion of the homeland
- Rising seas and king tides inundate settlements and airstrips, while coastal erosion shrinks already tiny land areas.
- Saltwater intrusion poisons thin freshwater lenses and root crops such as Tuvalu's pulaka (swamp taro), undermining water and food security.
- Coral bleaching removes the reefs that break waves and sustain fisheries and tourism.
Economic and social existence
- A single event can erase years of output: Cyclone Pam (2015) devastated Vanuatu, wiping out a large share of its GDP.
- Loss of habitable land forces planned migration; Tuvalu amended its Constitution in 2023 to declare its statehood permanent.
Legal existence
- International law presumes territory for statehood; submergence raises questions about sovereignty, exclusive economic zones and citizenship.
- Responses: the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union (2023) recognises Tuvalu's sovereignty in perpetuity despite sea-level rise; the ICJ's Advisory Opinion (23 July 2025) clarified States' climate obligations; islands press for loss-and-damage funding and the 1.5°C limit.
Island nations need deep global emission cuts, dependable adaptation finance and legal guarantees that statehood survives even where land does not.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.