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Polynesia is SINKING: Why Climate Change Will Make These Countries Extinct
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Apr 2, 2025
Listen to the Hydroelectric Dams podcast episode here: https://www.spreaker.com/user/16765251/ep39-dams-novid-final-v1 Support me on Substack: https://geographyiseverything.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geographybygeoff/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@geographybygeoff Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/geography-is-everything or @GeographyPod Linktree for everything: https://linktr.ee/geographybygeoff Polynesia and the South Pacific island countries are incredibly beautiful. And these islands are often thought of first when travelers begin yearning for a tropical holiday. Unfortunately, these very same islands are also facing an existential threat due to climate change induced sea level right. In this video, we'll cover the history, geography, and tactics being employed to combat sea level rise by some of these countries. Stock footage and royalty-free music is acquired from www.storyblocks.com and www.artlist.io. Animation support provided by DH Designs (needahittman.com)
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Polynesia is one of the most strikingly beautiful regions of the world
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home to world-famous tropical paradises such as Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and many more. But while these islands are beloved for their natural beauty
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they're also at exceptional risk of losing considerable land or sinking entirely beneath
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the sea. Here's why so many Polynesian islands might not exist in 50 years
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Hello and welcome to Geography by Jeff. Today we're off to the Polynesian Islands for our second community voted video
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And in exploring this region specifically, one story kept popping up again and again
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The region's dire situation with regards to climate change induced sea level rise
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And countries all over the world are facing similar issues with regards to sea level rise
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Polynesia is definitely serving as a strong warning sign for what could happen in the future
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But first, because you're interested in this video, you might also be interested in this podcast on hydroelectric power
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You can listen right after this video by clicking the link above, or you can find it in the description below
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Polynesia is an interesting place in the world because it's so distant from almost everything else
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In fact, there's basically no other place on the planet that is as far flung
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as some of the islands in Polynesia. Despite this, however, humans managed to make it to
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and inhabit the many islands of the region thousands of years ago. The first Polynesians
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are believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, making their way from the modern-day
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countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, through Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
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to what is now Fiji and Samoa by around 800 BCE. Using their advanced navigation skills and
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outrigger canoes, these early settlers embarked on extensive voyages, exploring and inhabiting
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even the more distant islands like Hawaii, Easter Island, and eventually New Zealand
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over the course of a thousand years. In fact, New Zealand was one of the last places
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in the region to be settled by humans, estimated to be around the year 1200, nearly 2,000 years after people first arrived to the region
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And Polynesian society was predominantly organized along clan and tribal lines, with social hierarchies and complex systems of governance
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Their way of life was intricately tied to the land and sea, where they developed remarkable skills
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in tropical agriculture, fishing, and of course, navigation. But these Polynesian societies and cultures would soon be disrupted
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by something many places all over the world had already been subjected to European colonization The initial contact with Polynesia was made by Spanish explorers in the 16th century with Alvaro de Mendenja discovering the Solomon Islands The Dutch led by explorer Jacob Rogvin
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would discover Easter Island in 1722. However, it was the expeditions of British navigator James
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Cook in the late 18th century that truly opened Polynesia to European influence
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Cook's detailed maps and accounts sparked an unprecedented interest in the region
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The strategic importance of Polynesia's islands, rich in resources and located along vital trade routes
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quickly became apparent to European powers. Whalers, missionaries, and traders began to frequent the islands
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each bringing a new wave of cultural, economic, and political change. During the 19th century, European colonization shifted from informal influence to formal control
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The British annexed various territories, including the Pitcairn Islands and parts of New Zealand
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The French took control of Tahiti and other parts of what is now known as French Polynesia
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Germany, too, claimed parts of the region, such as Western Samoa. The process of colonization often involved coercive treaties, annexation, and sometimes
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armed conflicts with local populations. Indigenous Polynesians were frequently marginalized, their lands seized, and traditional governance
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systems replaced with foreign rule. In the latter half of the 20th century, many Polynesian territories began to gain independence
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or greater autonomy. Some, like Samoa and Tonga, became fully independent nations
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But others, like French Polynesia, American Samoa, and Easter Island, remain overseas territories with varying degrees of self-governance
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Polynesia has a surprisingly deep history for a region that is so far away and relatively inaccessible
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But unfortunately and despite this history, we're likely to see many of these Polynesian islands disappear within our lifetime
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But before we dive into the unique geography of Polynesia, if you're enjoying this video, hit that subscribe button
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More geography videos are just a single click away. You've probably already gathered this, but Polynesia is not a single connected piece of land
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Instead, it's a large quantity of islands sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
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Polynesia exists as a sub-region of Oceania, a geographic region described as a continent
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that would include the thousands of small Polynesian islands, but also New Zealand
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Australia, Papua New Guinea, and even the US state of Hawaii. And despite being thought of as a tropical region
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the natural geography of Polynesia is surprisingly diverse ranging from high volcanic islands to low coral atolls Many of the islands are characterized by rugged mountains lush tropical forests
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and fringing coral reefs. But also, larger islands such as New Zealand and even Hawaii
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can have many more types of biomes within them. That said, the climate across Polynesia is
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predominantly tropical, with warm temperatures and high humidity year-round. However, variations exist due to factors like elevation, ocean currents, and wind patterns. For instance
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the windward side of islands often receive more rainfall, leading to lush vegetation
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while the leeward sides can be relatively dry. For most Polynesian islands, their eastern sides
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tend to receive more rain due to the Pacific trade winds. Though New Zealand would appear to
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be one of the few exceptions due to it being farther south, and thus subjected to the westerlies
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a strong westward-blowing wind stream. Finally, the ocean itself plays a central role in Polynesian
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geography, providing vital resources like fish and acting as a highway for transportation and
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trade. The rich marine ecosystems, including vibrant coral reefs, are home to a diverse array
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of marine life. Even to this day, many Polynesian islands rely on the ocean for their entire economy
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and as a primary source of food. As of today, the following fully independent countries in Polynesia
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are the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. But Polynesia is home to many
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overseas territories as well. France owns French Polynesia and Wallace and Futuna. The UK owns the
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Pitcairn Islands. The US owns Hawaii and American Samoa. Chile owns Easter Island and New Zealand
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owns Tokelau. All of this incredible geography of course is happening in the backdrop of climate
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change. And while many of these island countries and territories rely on the ocean for their
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livelihoods, it's also the ocean that poses the greatest risk to their continued existence
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The Polynesian countries and territories, an area comprising over a thousand islands across
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the Central and Southern Pacific Ocean, are facing an existential challenge as rising sea
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levels threaten to sink their land. This unsettling reality is a direct consequence
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of global climate change. But the situation across the region is as diverse as the islands themselves
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In some areas such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, the danger is particularly acute
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with the highest points of land just a few meters above sea level. These nations are employing multifaceted strategies that include constructing seawalls
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implementing rainwater harvesting systems and exploring potential relocation plans Kiribati is running with a unique Migration with Dignity program where the government is forging relationships with countries like Australia and New Zealand
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in order to build expatriate communities and allow its citizens to move there
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Kiribati has also purchased land in Fiji in order to have a surviving area
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where citizens can move within Polynesia proper. Meanwhile, Tuvalu, another highly endangered country
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is in the process of creating a digital clone of its island in order to preserve its heritage when the inevitable happens
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and the country sinks below the ocean. Elsewhere, in places like Fiji and Tonga, the focus is on
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constructing homes on higher ground, improving coastal management, and integrating climate change adaptation into development planning. French Polynesia, American Samoa, and the Cook
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Islands are similarly engaged in efforts ranging from coastal protection measures to building more resilient infrastructure and investing in renewable energy
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In Samoa, the approach includes enhancing infrastructure resilience, building robust structures, and improving disaster risk management
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supported by active international assistance for funding climate adaptation projects. Even smaller and less well-known territories such as Wallace and Fortuna are engaged
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concentrating on implementing early warning systems and disaster preparedness strategies. The sinking of Polynesia's islands is neither uniform nor isolated
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and the responses to this threat, from hard-engineered solutions like seawalls, to softer, more adaptive approaches like mangrove reforestation and strategic planning for relocation
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reflect the intricate and multifaceted nature of the problem. But top of mind for most of these people is the preservation of cultural heritage
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identity, and livelihood for today and well into the future. But what's perhaps most tragic in all of this is that
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despite being some of the first countries to face extinction at the hands of climate change
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all of them combined have not made any meaningful contributions to it. Oceania as a whole, including Australia
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emits just 1.3% of all CO2 emissions in the world. And these Polynesian countries specifically are less than 1% of that 1.3%
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3%. Polynesia is one of the world's most beautiful and unique areas, but as Arctic and Antarctic sea
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ice melts into the ocean, the seas will rise. And low-lying countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati
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are in very real danger of not being habitable any longer. Thanks again to my amazing community
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who helped me pick the location for today's video. If you want to get involved, be sure to check out
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the community page right here on YouTube. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Polynesia and how
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it's dealing with sea level rise. If you did, please subscribe to my channel
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And if you want to watch more of my videos, you can do so here. Thanks for watching
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