As Seas Rise, U.S. Faces Rising Costs of Island Migration

The Marshallese are losing their land.

The Marshall Islands, a chain of 29 tiny, low-lying atolls in the Pacific Ocean just two meters above sea level on average, are losing land to the sea twice as fast as the global average in some areas, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

Rising sea levels related to temperature increases aren’t just a challenge for the Marshall Islands, or even other island nations. Some 6,000 miles away in Springdale, Ark., thousands of islanders have put down roots, and more may come. The Marshall Islands is just one of three South ...