Due to expected sea level rise, a small island in the Caribbean Sea is being evacuated, according to AP News.
Around 300 families have voluntarily evacuated from the densely populated island, with some choosing to remain for now.
Panamanian authorities estimate that 63 different coastal communities could be affected by rising sea levels in the coming decades.
Residents are sad to leave their homes and familiar environment as the sea gradually swallows the island.
The island is part of a group of around 50 islands off the Guna Yala peninsula in Panama.
For now, no one has been forced to leave the island by Panamanian authorities.
Gardi Sugdub already experiences flooding in November and December due to storms, according to AP News.
Climate change is having a significant impact on the island, with rising sea levels and unbearable heat reported by residents.
Smithsonian researcher Steve Paton warns that the evacuation is a direct consequence of climate change and rising sea levels, with the islands being only half a meter above the sea on average.
Eventually, all residents of the islands may have to evacuate within a decade due to sea level rise.
