Global Regions Most Likely To Disappear Into The Ocean

Ever had that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that something's not quite right? For the majority of the residents of the following areas, there is legitimate reason to be up in arms over climate change since it's hitting them right where it hurts - by potentially wiping out all traces of their homeland. Many are transitioning into "climate refugees" who are forced by palpable environmental changes to uproot their lives and culture to neighboring areas that are kind enough to welcome them. Others aren't quite sure what to do at the present moment but they realize that they better not drag their heels for too long or Mother Nature may have very unpleasant consequences in store for them. Then there are some who have managed to engineer their own uncertain fate. No matter how they arrived at their present conundrum, when entire family roots are intrinsically connected to one specific geographic region, it can't be very easy to say goodbye. Here are some of the top global regions that face a very questionable and potentially watery future:

Tuvalu
Composed of four reef islands and five atolls, the Polynesian nation with a 3000 year history is the fourth smallest country in the world with a population of just 12,373. Unfortunately for the residents of the extremely low-lying Pacific Ocean-bound region, they are threatened not only by global warming-induced rising seas and poor coastal management but also by a phenomenon known as king tides which devastate wildlife and humans with every full and new moon that comes and goes. Some of the most notable effects of climate change can be seen in the loss of their wetlands, the increased incidence of coral bleaching and the erosion of their coastlines, but unlike other countries that are in a similar eco-conundrum, Tuvalu residents are fortunate enough to have been given the thumbs up from New Zealand to relocate to the land of green hills, dales, fjords and volcanoes. In the meantime, they are intent on becoming a zero emissions nation in just 10 years thanks to the installation of a 40 kilowatt solar energy system (which will ultimately be expanded to 60 kilowatts) among other sustainable efforts.

The Carteret Islands in Papua New Guinea
Having earned the unfortunate distinction of being the very first climate refuge population to completely evacuate from their homeland as a direct result of human-derived global warming effects, the low-lying collection of islands which - for the past seven years have experienced a yearly sea level rise of 8.2 mm -- has been repeatedly subjected to turbulent storm surges, king tides and general eco-destruction resulting in crop loss, houses being washed away and drinking water contamination. There are many hypotheses offered for why the region is so vulnerable, from earthquake and volcanic activity to the removal of shoreline mangrove trees which formerly provided a natural source of protection against crashing waves. However, the overwhelming majority of scientists place the blame squarely on global warming and the result is that all 2,600 of its residents have had to make a new home in their host community of Tinputz on the east coast of Bougainville. In just 5 more years, it is likely that the entire region will be completely submerged in the Pacific.

The Maldives
Separated from India by 435 miles of ocean, the Maldives is an archipelago of approximately 1,200 coral atolls and islands spanning 90,000 square kilometers in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The tropical paradise serves as a booming travel destination for jet setters, honeymooners and Hollywood stars, but considering its status as the lowest country on our planet (at just 4 feet, 11 inches above sea level), it is believed that the majority of it will become submerged by the end of this century as a direct result of continual climate change-related weather events such as monsoons and tsunamis.

Back in 1992, the island nation was well aware of the threat to their very existence while the rest of the world was still acclimating to the alien concept of global warming. They had first-hand experience regarding what they might expect in their future when a tsunami submerged their entire region for several minutes in 2004. As of 2007, the Maldives' then-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom acknowledged in a Bali climate change conference that "over half of our islands are eroding at an alarming rate." Today, they are highly focused on locating a new homeland on higher ground (potentially in India, Sri Lanka and Australia) and are concurrently competing in the Carbon World Cup to demonstrate that they can achieve carbon-neutral status by the end of 2020. Hopefully their efforts won't be washed away.

Shanghai
More than 1,000 square kilometers of this coastal city built on clay and sand is experiencing a yearly 5 - 7 millimeter rate of sinking due to accelerated urbanization and the construction of skyscrapers, both of which have placed great strain on the underground water supply. China.org explains that since Shanghai was built on the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River, depletion of underground water sources have seriously impacted the geological environment, resulting in subsidence (something that other global meccas like New Orleans, Los Angeles, Venice and Mexico City face). In layman's terms, that means that the Earth's surface naturally shifts downward due to soil aeration and organic oxidation. The city - which is just 13 feet above sea level -- has taken aggressive efforts to combat their consistent level of sinking by reducing their groundwater usage and installing monitors to track the progression of their subsidence but officials ackowledge that there is no way to "undo" the damage...all they can do is stave it off.

Additional Global Islands That Are Either Currently Sinking Or At Serious Risk Of Sinking:

Dubai:  The United Arab Emirates' 1.2 million residents are considered at risk due to the effects of climate change

Vanuatu: This coastal village on Tegua is home to 212,000 residents, some of whom have already been evacuated in response to surging seas.

Marshall Islands: The typhoon-prone nation of 62,000 residents has experienced everything from atomic bomb testing in the 1950s to prolonged drought in 2001 and extended swell waves in 2008, the latter rendering it in a state of emergency. Today, the majority of the islands are anticipated to disappear with increasingly rising seas.

Ghoramara Island:  Located in the Bay of Bengal near India, 31 square miles of the region (2/3 of its total mass) submerged as of 2006.

Kivalini: Located on Alaska's Arctic coastline, at least 400 Inupiat natives have been forced to relocate while the balance has been fighting for the survival of their historic community by erecting a $3 million sea wall.

Bangladesh: Kutubdia in southeastern Bangladesh has already lost over 200,000 residents to climate change and another 150,000 are likely to depart in the near future.

Kiribati: the former British colony located barely 6 feet above sea level is facing a very watery future with 30 islands under threat of submerging. For its 107,800 residents, they could potentially flee to neighboring Australia and New Zealand within the next several years.