New Moore Island sinking to the sea

short term loan of living space on other shores, the issue promises to only get worse. The dispute over New Moore Island is bringing media attention to the increasing sea claiming more land then every before.

New Moore Island by any other name

At less than 3 square miles, New Moore Island is a relatively small chunk of disputed land. The government of India claimed the island as part of their territory, stating that New Moore Island fell within established maritime borders. On the other hand, Bangledesh also states what they call South Talpatti. Residents of either country have never built a permanent settlement on the island. The island actually came into dispute only about 40 years ago, when New Moore Island / South Talpatti appeared after the Bhola cyclone. At one point, India established a temporary base on South Talpatti / New Moore Island, but international opinion remains split.

Sea levels rise beyond New Moore Island

As reported by the BBC, the School of Oceanographic Studies in Calcutta has officially determined New Moore Island to be covered by sea water. Local fishermen have confirmed the reports that New Moore Island is no more. Before 2000, average yearly sea level rose at about 3mm per year, but in the last decade that has gone up to 5mm per year. In the Bengal Basin region and Sundarban Island chain, where New Moore Island was situated, sea levels have been rising by about 3.14 centimeters a year. Four islands of the Sundarban chain sunk before New Moore Island.
New Moore Island isn’t the only sinker
The Sundarban Island chain is not the sole home to sinking islands. A small nation known as the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has been losing land mass steadily for years. Tiny changes can make a huge impact on these islands, where the highest point is only 8 feet above sea level. In response, the government of the Maldives has been building Hulhumale, a man-made island, for residents to emigrate to. In the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, Tuvalu is also in danger of sinking. There are 11,000 residents of Tuvalu, all of whom could be without a home in as little as 50 years. A few residents of Tuvalu – 75, to be exact – can use military personal loans to move to New Zealand. Tonga, Kirbati, and the Marshall Islands are also at risk of disappearing just like New Moore Island did.

How to resolve the problem?
In the end, there is no way to precisely measure the cause and effect of small islands ending up in the ocean. Sea levels rise and fall regularly, and island land masses can also rise and sink on their own. Some say the sea levels are increasing because of climate change, others because of natural climate variations. No matter who or what is to blame, though, island nations that are sinking are being forced to find solutions – because there is not yet a way to simply stop the rise and fall of an island in the ocean.