These waters bring the residents of the San Bernardo archipelago in Colombia closer together. Located at an altitude of two meters above sea level, their house is used to being periodically flooded.
A few kilometers off the coast of Colombia, they have long been concerned about sea levels. Now more than ever.
– This is very worrying. “We are worried that our islands will disappear,” said Adrián Caraballo Guard.
Grim verdict: – The battle is lost
– Our only choice
This is not the first time the island paradise in the Caribbean Sea has received attention. Climate change means that those wishing to visit the islands have limited time. Slowly but surely they disappeared.
– In the long term, flights are our only option. We need an evacuation plan. We still have time for that, before the tragedy occurs, Juan Manuel Díaz, head of environmental protection organization Fundación MarViva Colombia, told The Guardian.
The archipelago also hosts one of the most populous islands in the world, Santa Cruz del Islote. But even spring tides are enough to flood the island’s narrow streets.
By 2050, sea levels are expected to rise by 30 centimeters. If this were to happen, it would threaten the residents of San Bernardo and ultimately the existence of the islands. That said, two islands have disappeared into the sea.
– This is madness
Disappeared in ten years
– San Bernardo is now a very different world from where I grew up 40 years ago, Diaz said.
Ceycén Island and Panda Island will be swallowed by water. So many have disappeared that San Bernardo residents estimate they will disappear entirely within the next ten years.
The largest island in the archipelago, Múcura, is also threatened by water masses. It is also the island with the most developed infrastructure, the most tourism, and the most hotels. All are threatened with extinction.
As the tides ebb and flow, the island is threatened by storms and erosion. More and more mangrove forests are disappearing. This also increases erosion.
Scientists were surprised: – Impossible
– Nobody did anything
In 2014, the local government calculated in a report that 45 percent of the islands’ coastline was affected by erosion. In addition, it is estimated that 22 percent of the Múcura area will be flooded by 2040.
No new calculations have been performed since then. Authorities have been accused of ignoring the challenges residents face.
– Nobody did anything. “I don’t see the authorities taking this challenge seriously,” Diaz said.
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