Meanwhile, increasing global temperatures can have disastrous consequences in other ways. Extreme temperatures generate extreme rainfall patterns, creating devastating impacts on island communities worldwide.
Consequently, the islands go without life-sustaining rainfall for months, leading to crop failure and reduced freshwater reserves. The scorching sun creates drought conditions that devastate agricultural lands.
Then suddenly too much comes at once, and precious soil and homes are washed away by the floods. For example, on the hilly Cook Islands, storms have given rise to landslides that carry islanders' homes down the hillsides.
Additionally, the annual tropical cyclones are becoming stronger and happening more frequently, resulting in more severe flooding and landslides that devastate island communities with unprecedented force.
What is more, as the ocean warms, many coral reefs, which act as natural barriers and are home to a rich diversity of ocean species, are dying. Heat and extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hurt the corals that build the reefs. Without healthy reefs, fish move away, and the islanders have less to eat.