'We're not giving up': Beset by climate change, island nations act as conscience of a warming world
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — When Palau President Surangel Samuel Whipps Jr. recently took his children to his nation’s Helen Island, two-thirds of it was gone. Rising seas caused by climate change had swallowed generational burial grounds, washing away a people’s entire culture and identity.
“For us, it’s devastating,” Whipps told The Associated Press on Friday, 40 years after his previous visit. “It doesn’t mean we should give up.”
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmx? E96 8=@32= A@H6C 82>6 @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^F?:E65\?2E:@?D\86?6C2=\2DD6>3=JQm&?:E65 }2E:@?D v6?6C2= pDD6>3=Jk^2m[ D>2== :D=2?5 DE2E6D[ =:<6 !2=2F[ 2C6 @7E6? @? E96 D:56=:?6D[ @776C:?8 >@C2= 25G:46 E@ E96 >:89EJ H9@ 5@?VE 2=H2JD =:DE6?] p7E6C 2==[ E96:C 4@F?EC:6D 2C6 E:?J] }62C=J “ |2CD92== xD=2?5D[ @C 23@FE b_ %FG2=FD[ 4@F=5 7:E :?D:56 }6H *@C< r:EJ[ H96C6 E96 &?:E65 }2E:@?D :D 9@FD65]k^Am
kAm}@H[ D@>6 @7 E96 =:EE=6 =2?5 E96J 5@ 92G6 :D 5:D2AA62C:?8]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E:>6D[Q (9:AAD D2:5[ “J@F 86E 5C@H?65 @FE]”k^Am
kAmw6 H2D C676CC:?8 E@ F?6BF2= A@H6C 5J?2>:4D[ 3FE :E 2=D@ 2AA=:6D A9JD:42==J] (96? :E 4@>6D E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4=:>2E6\492?86Qm4=:>2E6 492?86k^2m[ >2?J @7 E96 H@C=5VD :D=2?5 ?2E:@?D 92G6 32?565 E@86E96C E@ 36 962C5 36EE6C] %96:C G@:46D A=2J E96 C@=6 @7 2 4@?D4:6?46 E@ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9@EE6DE\@462?D\4=:>2E6\492?86\6=\?:?@\7:D96C:6D\h55e647b3bdg2gh5a3b2dceg5eh53534QmH2C>:?8 H@C=5k^2m[ A=625:?8 E@ DE@A 42C3@? A@==FE:@? 367@C6 :EVD E@@ =2E6]k^Am
k9am(2C>:?8 H@C=5 :>A6C:=D D>2== :D=2?5 DE2E6Dk^9am
kAmx? a_`d[ H96? E96 H@C=5 H2D @? E96 G6C86 @7 D:8?:?8 E96 =2?5>2C< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4=:>2E6\492?86\ECF>A\A2C:D\28C66>6?E\8=@32=\H2C>:?8\dghgh3hacacg4c3556d5ae`fbd7_6`43Qm!2C:D 4=:>2E6 A24Ek^2m[ :E H2D D>2== :D=2?5 ?2E:@?D E92E 8@E E96 8@2= E@ =:>:E 8=@32= H2C>:?8 E:89E6?65 7C@> a 568C66D r6=D:FD Wb]e 568C66D u29C6?96:EX E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4=:>2E6\D4:6?46\3FD:?6DD\D4@E=2?5\6FC@A6\f3aga27f57hd3dd577aeb_6`dgeb`2fbQm`]d 568C66Dk^2m Wa]f 568C66D u29C6?96:EX D:?46 AC6\:?5FDEC:2= E:>6D] pE E96 E:>6[ :D=2?5 ?2E:@?D D2:5 :E H2D 2 >2EE6C @7 DFCG:G2=]k^Am
kAm}@H[ D4:6?E:DED 2?5 E96 &?:E65 }2E:@?D 92G6 4@?46565 E92E E96 H@C=5 :D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4=:>2E6\492?86\E9C6D9@=5\42E2DEC@A96\@G6CD9@@E\F?\H2C>:?8`3a5`ae6gbdh32ff6ddce7af5g7c2c6`Qm3=@H:?8 A2DE E96 `]d 568C66D >2C<k^2m — 2 E6>A6C2EFC6 2G6C2865 @G6C >2?J J62CD — :? E96 ?6IE J62C @C EH@] %96 36DE 9@A6 E@ <66A E9:D 7C@> 92AA6?:?8 A6C>2?6?E=J :D 7@C E96 H@C=5 E@ C65F46 4@2=[ @:= 2?5 82D FD6 E@ K6C@ :? 4@>:?8 564256D[ D@ E92E D@>6E:>6 E9:D 46?EFCJ[ E6>A6C2EFC6D H:== 8@ 324< 5@H? 36=@H E96 `]d 568C66D E9C6D9@=5[ E96J D2:5]k^Am
kAm“t249 7C24E:@? @7 2 568C66 @7 H2C>:?8 :?4C62D6D E96 C:D< @7 :CC6G6CD:3=6 D62 =6G6= C:D6[” D2:5 p??2 #2D>FDD6?[ 49:67 ?68@E:2E@C 7@C E96 p==:2?46 @7 $>2== xD=2?5 $E2E6D] “(6 23D@=FE6=J 42??@E DFCC6?56C @FC AFCDF:ED @7 `]d]”k^Am
kAm(92E 5@6D 3C6249:?8 `]d 568C66D >62?n “s62E9[” D2:5 y@J6==6 r=2C<6[ 6?G:C@?>6?E >:?:DE6C 7@C E96 r2C:3362? :D=2?5 ?2E:@? @7 $2:?E z:EED 2?5 }6G:D[ DE2?5:?8 @FED:56 E96 &]}] $64FC:EJ r@F?4:=]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D F?72:C 3642FD6 D>2== :D=2?5D 5:5?VE 42FD6 4=:>2E6 492?86[ |2CD92== xD=2?5D !C6D:56?E w:=52 w6:?6 D2:5 5FC:?8 96C DA6649 E@ E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J @? uC:52Jj 3:8 :?5FDEC:2= ?2E:@?D 5:5]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 D66? D49@@=D 56DEC@J65 3J C:D:?8 D62D[ D2=E H2E6C A@:D@?:?8 @FC H6==D 2?5 5:D62D6 @FE3C62<D =:?<65 E@ 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 492?86[” w6:?6 E@=5 96C 76==@H =6256CD] “%9:D :?;FDE:46 >FDE 36 255C6DD65] ~FC 4@>>F?:E:6D 56D6CG6 C6DE:EFE:@?]”k^Am
k9am$>2== :D=2?5 DE2E6D 32?5 E@86E96C 2E &]}]k^9am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D H66<[ E96 &]}] 25@AE65 2 C6D@=FE:@? E92E 42==65 7@C D>2== :D=2?5 DE2E6D E@ <66A D@G6C6:8?EJ 2?5 >2C:?6 C:89ED ?@ >2EE6C H92E C:D:?8 D62D 5@] ~?6 @7 E96 >2;@C >6DD286D ?2E:@? 27E6C ?2E:@? 82G6i s6DA:E6 C:D:?8 D62D[ E96J 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 2?JH96C6]k^Am
kAm“%96 DFCG:G2= @7 @FC ?2E:@?D 42??@E 36 ?68@E:2E65[” D2:5 p5ã@ $@2C6D q2C3@D2[ DA64:2= 6?G@J @? 4=:>2E6 2772:CD 7@C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^62DE\E:>@C\2D62?\7:CDE\6IA2?D:@?\734_d6gg5g_2hhg2d62dcag_ecbf2fe4Qm$@FE962DE pD:2? :D=2?5 ?2E:@?k^2m @7 t2DE %:>@C 2?5 492:C @7 E96 {62DE s6G6=@A65 r@F?EC:6D vC@FA @? r=:>2E6 r92?86] “(6 42??@E 23D@C3 2?@E96C J62C @7 AC@>:D6D H:E9@FE 56=:G6CJ]”k^Am
kAm%FG2=F !C:>6 |:?:DE6C u6=6E: %6@ D2:5 9:D 4@F?ECJ >2J @?=J 92G6 ae DBF2C6 <:=@>6E6CD W`_ DBF2C6 >:=6DX @7 =2?5[ 3FE :EVD C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C fd_[___ DBF2C6 <:=@>6E6CD W?62C=J ah_[___ DBF2C6 >:=6DX @7 @462?D]k^Am
kAm“%FG2=FVD ?2E:@?9@@5 :D ?@E ?68@E:23=6[” 649@65 %6@[ H9@ 42==65 4=:>2E6 492?86 E96 “D:?8=6 8C62E6DE 6I:DE6?E:2= E9C62E” E@ 9:D 4@F?ECJ] “~FC A6@A=6 D9@F=5 ?6G6C 36 7@C465 E@ 49@@D6 36EH66? E96:C 9@>6=2?5 2?5 E96:C 7FEFC6]”k^Am
kAm|2CD92== xD=2?5 u@C6:8? |:?:DE6C z2=2?: z2?6<@ D2:5 9:D A6@A=6 Q92G6 ?@ @E96C 49@:46 3FE E@ 7:?2==J DE2J 9@>6[ C2:D6 @FC @H? A6@A=6[ DA62< @FC @H? =2?8F286 2?5 AC@E64E @FC @H? :56?E:EJ] (6VC6 ?@E 8:G:?8 FA]”k^Am
kAmr=2C<6[ 7C@> $2:?E z:EED 2?5 }6G:D[ D2:5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 H@C=5 5@6D?VE 766= @C D66 H92E :D=2?5 ?2E:@?D 2C6 8@:?8 E9C@F89]k^Am
kAm“u@C >2?J 7@=<D E92E =@@< 2E E96 :D=2?5D :? E96 r2C:3362? 2?5 E96 !24:7:4[ E96J D66 A2C25:D6] %96J D66 E96 EH@\H66< 86E2H2J — DF?[ D2?5[ D62[ 25G6?EFC6[” r=2C<6 D2:5] “%96 G6CJ 362496D E92E J@F EC2G6= E9@FD2?5D @7 >:=6D 7@C 2?5 D2G6 FA 7@C J@FC 9@=:52J[ E9@D6 362496D 2C6 5:D2AA62C:?8]”k^Am
kAmr=2C<6[ H9@ 2=D@ H@C<D H:E9 96C ?2E:@?VD J@FE9[ D2:5 “(6’C6 D66:?8 2 86?6C2E:@? E92E’D =@D:?8 9@A6[ E92E’D 4@?DE2?E=J 724:?8 56DA2:C[ E92E 2C6 BF6DE:@?:?8[ ‘(9J D9@F=5 H6 42C6n (9J D9@F=5 H6 5@ 2?JE9:?8[ H96? J@F 2== 5@?’E 42C6 6?@F89[ 2?5 E96 H@C=5 5@6D?’E 42C6 6?@F89[ 23@FE @FC 7FEFC6nV”k^Am
kAm%9:D :DDF6 9:ED 9@>6 7@C (9:AAD 7C@> !2=2F[ H9@ 92D 25F=E 49:=5C6? 3FE ?@ 8C2?549:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm“%96 D25 A2CE :D[ D@>6 @7 E96 <:5D[ J@F E2=< E@ E96>[ 2?5 E96J 5@?’E H2?E E@ 92G6 <:5D[ 3642FD6 E96J E9:?<[ V(9J 5@ J@F H2?E E@ 3C:?8 E96> E@ 2 H@C=5 E92E’D 72465 H:E9 E96D6 AC@3=6>Dn” 96 D2:5] “%92E’D 2=D@ D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6 ?665 E@ E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD HC:E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2FE9@C^;6??:76C\>456C>@EEQmy6??:76C |4s6C>@EEk^2m 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE 7C@> }6H *@C<]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm%96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’ 4=:>2E6 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@G6C286 C646:G6D 7:?2?4:2= DFAA@CE 7C@> >F=E:A=6 AC:G2E6 7@F?52E:@?D] %96 p! :D D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 2== 4@?E6?E] u:?5 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^23@FE^DE2?52C5D\7@C\H@C<:?8\H:E9\@FED:56\8C@FAD^QmDE2?52C5Dk^2m 7@C H@C<:?8 H:E9 A9:=2?E9C@A:6D[ 2 =:DE @7 DFAA@CE6CD 2?5 7F?565 4@G6C286 2C62D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^5:D4@G6C^$FAA@CE:?8\p!Qmp!]@C8k^2m]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.