by Jess Zimmerman. Man, Tuvalu just can't catch a break. The island nation is getting slowly submerged by climate-related sea level changes — and now, in addition to having too much water, they have not enough water. Tuvalu and nearby Tokelau have declared water emergencies because of fresh water shortages; they're relying on bottled water for drinking, but some areas have no more than a two-day supply. Samoa is starting to ration water as well. Maybe they can get some from Fiji. The water shortage comes from a recent drought — rainfall has been low for the past six months to a year. But it's also even more directly attributable to climate change. Tuvalu's underground water reserves have been contaminated by rising seawater. And rainfall could continue to be low for the foreseeable future. The irony, of course, is that now the islands have to bring in emergency water supplies in plastic bottles, and both the importing and the plastic contribute to greenhouse emissions. (The main island of Tuvalu does also have a large desalinization machine.)

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South Pacific islands are in water crisis

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