Stories

Melting Down and Rising Up

Our frozen world is on the decline. But people are building a resilient future.

Date: September 25, 2019

Melting down and rising up

Our frozen world is on the decline. But people are building a resilient future.

What should be frozen solid is now thawing and melting away—and communities are already dealing with the consequences.

As the planet warms at an alarming rate, glaciers, sea and lake ice, snow cover, and permafrost—ground that remains completely frozen—are all rapidly thawing and melting.

The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as any other place, but the impacts of this crisis are felt far beyond the Arctic circle and those who live in the world’s coldest places; rising temperatures and the swift melting of water in various solid forms are causing sea levels to rise, threatening coastal communities and important natural areas globally.

We explored drastically different cities and towns in both Alaska and Florida that are feeling the impacts of sea level rise and permafrost loss—among other climate impacts—today. And while the challenges these communities face are great, so, too, is their ability to rise and act on the climate crisis.

Click on the stories below to learn how Miami and Alaska are adapting to a changing world.

Miami

Rising Up

Alaska

Resilient and Rising

Images from a thawing world

Coastal erosion is just one impact of the climate crisis. More frequent and extreme storms, droughts, heat waves, increased flood risk, and more will impact people, wildlife, and wild places everywhere. It’s up to all of us to change course immediately. Here’s how you can help:

Chittagong, Bangladesh

A family watching TV in their flooded house, waiting for water to recede during a tidal flood in Chittagong, Bangladesh. As the climate crisis rages on, the people of Bangladesh will experience increasing river floods, more intense tropical storms, and very high temperatures. Sea level rise could leave some areas completely submerged and would affect power, food, and health.
Raviravi, Fiji

The cemetery in the coastal community of Raviravi, Fiji, has been abandoned for several years. A pile of stones is all that remains, covered by seawater twice a day during high tide.
The community has planted mangroves in the hope of slowing coastal erosion and the sea's progress inland. WWF is working in Fiji to build the resilience of coastal communities, aiming to make them less vulnerable to sea level rise and increase their food security.
Halligen Islands, Germany

The Halligen Islands off the coast of Germany sit just mere centimeters above sea level and flood regularly, especially during the spring and fall. The flooding is essential to a unique habitat for about 60,000 breeding coastal birds like oystercatchers that requires salt and sediment, but climate change could make the flooding higher and more frequent. Around 300 people live on the Halligen and they’re now strengthening the hills upon which they built their homes to prepare for these changes. WWF is committed to ensuring that the unique ecosystem can also adapt to the climate crisis. We create ways to increase deposits of sediment and reconnect salt marshes with tidal flats.
Ittoqqortoormiit, East Greenland

Climate change is the single biggest threat to polar bears. As the sea ice around Ittoqqortoormiit diminishes, polar bears are spending longer on land and coming into town. In recent years, there has been a worrying increase in human-polar bear conflicts encounters throughout East Greenland. WWF provided support for the community to establish a polar bear patrol in 2015 to protect the town's 450 residents from dangerous encounters on their way to school or work, and to reduce the number of bears killed in self-defense.