Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine stressed Friday the need for dramatic climate action and international support to ensure her people are not left as "sitting ducks" when sea levels inevitably rise.
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Heine lamented that many countries were not taking the threat against small island states seriously enough. She described Washington's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accords as "deeply disappointing".
Faced with lacklustre efforts to slow warning, she said the Marshall Islands' "survival depends on innovative approaches", pointing for instance to ongoing discussions about possibly elevating some of the islands.
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The Marshall Islands has been lobbying the World Bank, the Green Climate Fund and others for a special designation for atoll nations that would give them easier access to grants and loans for climate adaptation projects.
The country itself is spending more to address the negative consequences of climate change already being felt and to prepare for future shifts, including through the building of sea walls around island communities.
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