For some island nations, climate change is not only about losing homes but about losing the country itself. Global sea levels are rising and accelerating, according to the UN weather agency. By 2100, seas are expected to rise by at least half a meter, and possibly by two meters. Pacific nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands sit only around two meters above the water. In the worst case, their land could become completely uninhabitable.
These states are fighting to keep their identity even if the sea takes their territory. They want international law to confirm that statehood continues despite physical changes to the land. Sea zones also matter, because fishing and resource rights are measured from set lines along national coastlines. If those lines moved inland with the water, countries would lose valuable rights. Island leaders insist the map should stay fixed, arguing they did not cause this crisis.