Climate Change Is Displacing Indigenous and Pacific Islander Communities: The Crisis We Can't Ignore
The overcrowded and low-lying island of Gardi Sugdub is one of the many islands forcing their native people to relocate to the mainland, forgoing their indigenous traditions and ways of life. Source: [BBC]
“‘If the island sinks, I will sink with it,’” says Delfino Davies, a member of the Guna who remains on the island of Gardi Sugdub, where waves lap into cramped homes, sweeping slippers and other items away.
According to the BBC, Davies’ community is the first in Panama to be relocated due to climate change; the government warns of an "imminent risk" from rising sea levels, which scientists predict could make the island uninhabitable by 2050. In addition to the Guna, other Indigenous and/or Pacific Islander communities worldwide are bearing the brunt of climate change’s impact on their lands. Their environmental vulnerability is further intensified by their dependence on traditional practices and their often marginalized status.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is a present-day crisis disproportionately affecting Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities. These groups, which have long maintained deep ties to their ancestral lands and waters, face escalating challenges as climate change disrupts traditional food sources, alters their environments, endangers cultural practices, and worsens existing socioeconomic hardships. While climate change is a global issue, its impacts are far from evenly distributed. The communities that contribute the least to global emissions are suffering the most, yet they receive minimal policy support, media attention, and financial aid. For many Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities, rising sea levels pose an existential threat.
In Pakistan’s Chitral district, approximately 5,000 people belonging to the Kalash community are grappling with displacement due to flash floods and glacial melting exacerbated by climate change. Similarly, communities in the Pacific Islands, from Tuvalu to the Solomon Islands, are losing their homes and agricultural land as ocean waters encroach upon them. Coastal erosion, increased flooding, and salinization of freshwater sources have forced entire populations to consider relocation. The World Economic Forum reports that “climate change is displacing Indigenous communities at seven times the rate of the global population.”
The Pacific nation of Kiribati is already suffering the consequences of climate change; rising sea levels forcing residents to live in swamped homes. Source: [The Guardian]
The Pacific Islands are among the first to face the devastating impacts of climate change. Many of these islands are low-lying, often consisting of atolls or other landforms that rise just a few feet above sea level. The rapid rise in sea levels, which has not occurred in the last 5,000 years, now threatens these fragile island systems with flooding, coastal erosion, and destructive storm surges.
Additionally, a NASA analysis confirms that sea level rise in the Pacific Islands is now irreversible, putting entire nations at risk of becoming uninhabitable. The United Nations has also highlighted how climate change is driving Indigenous peoples to take legal action to protect their lands, demonstrating their resilience but also exposing the severe lack of global support for their plight.
Beyond physical displacement, climate change is dismantling traditional ways of life. Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities rely heavily on fishing, farming, and local biodiversity for sustenance and cultural identity. As changing temperatures disrupt fish populations and extreme weather events devastate crops, food insecurity and economic instability are on the rise. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that climate-related health risks, including waterborne diseases and heat stress, are also disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations, reversing decades of health progress.
The struggles of many Indigenous communities in Africa have been worsened by climate-induced disasters such as droughts and heatwaves, further deepening their challenges. Over the past two decades, thousands of deaths have resulted from farmer-herder conflicts, underscoring the link between climate change, political crises, and biodiversity loss. The Indigenous Mbororo herders confront these hardships daily, with climate change exacerbating their difficulties. In 2023, Africa faced a devastating toll from extreme weather events, “claiming at least 15,700 lives.” Tragically, a significant number of these casualties were from the Mbororo community, emphasizing their extreme vulnerability to climate-related disasters.
The United Nations Refugee Agency has stated that many indigenous people of Tuvalu leaving their native lands due to climate change has caused “raising questions about nationality, identity and culture if the population becomes stateless”. Source: [UNHCR]
For Pacific Islanders living in Tuvalu, sea levels rising, the ocean acidifying, and the water’s surface temperature increasing is causing “coral reef destruction and shifting locations of marine species” which has destroyed ecosystems. Additionally, “saltwater contaminat[ing] freshwater supplies” has made some islands unsuitable for farming, according to an article from the GJIA. This means that not only are the Indigenous people the ones primarily impacted by climate change—a crisis they have minimally contributed to—but also the nature from which they live and survive.
The economic cost of climate change on these communities is compounded by the lack of resources and infrastructure to adapt. Pacific Island nations often lack the financial and technological means to construct sea walls, develop alternative food systems, or relocate populations safely. As the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs notes, these financial constraints leave communities trapped in a cycle of vulnerability with little hope for long-term solutions.
Despite these mounting challenges, international climate policies have largely sidelined Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities. Climate conferences, such as the U.N. COP (Conference of Parties) have yet to produce adequate solutions tailored to their unique needs. However, some organizations are stepping up. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has prioritized aid for island communities most affected by climate change by supporting research and adaptation strategies. Similarly, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has reported that Pacific Island nations are seeking climate solutions beyond traditional diplomatic negotiations, advocating for legally binding climate commitments from major polluting nations.
It is time to place indigenous knowledge at the heart of climate policy-making—not just as a matter of equity, but as a strategic necessity. Indigenous communities possess invaluable traditional practices, adaptive strategies, and a deep understanding of their ecosystems, accumulated over centuries. This knowledge can help shape policies that are both effective and respectful of diverse cultures.
But to unlock the full potential of this knowledge, we must act now to address existing gaps. We need improved data collection systems to better understand the complex impacts of climate-induced displacement on Indigenous peoples. Most importantly, we must actively listen to those directly affected. Their voices must be at the forefront, shaping the policies designed to support their communities.
Climate change is not just an environmental issue—it is a matter of justice. Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities are on the front lines of this crisis, enduring its worst impacts while contributing the least to its causes. Governments, policymakers, and global organizations must take immediate and sustained action to provide financial aid, legal protections, and infrastructure support to these vulnerable communities. It is time to recognize that the fight against climate change is also a fight for human rights. If the world fails to act, we will not only lose islands and lands—we will lose cultures, histories, and ways of life that have existed for generations.
The clock is ticking, and these communities cannot afford to wait.