Two uninhabited islands, Betet and Gundul, which are part of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra, immediately went under water due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, as announced by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).
The small uninhabited islands of Betet and Gundul sitting 1 meter and 3 meters below sea level, respectively, according to Walhi data.
"These islands were uninhabited. One of the islands, Betet, is a part of Berbak-Sembilang National Park," Walhi executive director Hairul Sobri was quoted as saying.
Berbak-Sembilang National Park was declared as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2018. It is home to the rich flora and fauna of mangroves, including Sumatran tigers and kingfishers.
Should there be no significant efforts to address the ever-rising oceans, four other islands in the area with elevations of less than 4 meters above sea level could follow suit and disappear sooner or later, Hairul said.
Burung Island is at risk of total flooding, which currently sits at sea level. Next in line are Kalong and Salah Namo (2 meters above sea level) and Kramat (3 meters above sea level).
According to Walhi, in the foreseeable future, flooding threatens another 23 small islands located off the east coast of Banyuasin in South Sumatra. Some of them are uninhabited, while some - including Salah Namo Island ─ have people living on them.
Rising sea levels caused by climate change are especially threatening to archipelagic countries such as Indonesia, where millions of people currently live in low-lying coastal areas located on some 17,000 islands.
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