Five islands have disappeared in the Pacific’s Solomon Islands due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion, according to an Australian study that scientists said on Saturday could provide valuable insights for future research.
A further six reef islands have been severely eroded in the remote area of the Solomons, the study said, with one experiencing some 10 houses being swept into the sea between 2011 and 2014.
“At least 11 islands across the northern Solomon Islands have either totally disappeared over recent decades or are currently experiencing severe erosion,” the study published in Environmental Research Letters said.
“Shoreline recession at two sites has destroyed villages that have existed since at least 1935, leading to community relocations.”
The scientists said the five that had vanished were all vegetated reef islands up to five hectares that were occasionally used by fishermen but not populated.
“They were not just little sand islands,” leader author Simon Albert said.
It is feared that the rise in sea levels will cause widespread erosion and inundation of low-lying atolls in the Pacific.