Pacific Islands face food and water crisis from climate change

Pacific island nations face acute food shortages and irreversible drinking water degradation due to climate change, according to a new UNEP report. Global warming is projected to peak at 1.8°C, exceeding Paris Agreement targets. The report warns that warmer oceans will drive tuna migration eastward, costing island states about $90 million in fishing license revenues, or 13 percent of government income. Coastal fishermen's catches could drop 65 percent, eliminating roughly two meals per week per family. Saltwater intrusion threatens freshwater supplies on low-lying atolls like Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands. Pacific leaders demand financial support from developed nations and criticize Australia's fossil fuel expansion, though Canberra cites the impossibility of an immediate energy transition.