‘All we can do now is run away’: is time up for the sinking Colombian islands of San Bernardo?

Photo Credit: Charlie Cordero. Retrieved from theguardian.com

Santa Cruz del Islote, part of the San Bernardo archipelago, a few miles off Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is typical of many of the world’s low-lying coastal regionsnow at the forefront of the escalating battle against the climate crisis.

“It’s very worrying. The tides and sea levels are rising and flooding many homes. We’re worried that our islands are disappearing,” says Adrián Caraballo, a young islander and local climate campaigner.

Caraballo recalls wading through ankle-deep water on the streets during one recent flood on Santa Cruz del Islote, which is one of the most densely populated islands in the world.

The archipelago’s 10 tiny islands are part of a protected natural park and are home to about 1,500 people. They lie amid an intricate web of coral reefs and a dense maze of mangroves at an average of only 2 metres (6ft) above the waterline.

Global sea levels are expected to rise by up to 30cm by 2050, threatening the livelihood of San Bernardo’s people, and ultimately the very existence of the islands.

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Caraballo, the environmental campaigner, is among those who have resorted to reforesting many of the degraded mangroves in hopes of helping the islands battle the rising tides and receding coastlines.

“We have to mitigate the impact through the planting of mangroves. If we had some [state] support, we’d see an improvement in the islands or some kind of recovery, but we just don’t have that support,” he says.

As the climate crisis rages on and the international community struggles to abide by its environmental commitments, Caraballo remains hopeful for a positive solution. Others have a bleaker outlook. “In the long term, there is nothing that can be done but run away,” says Díaz.

“What needs to be done is an evacuation plan. We still have time to do it progressively before tragedy strikes.”