Photo/Illutration Delegates attend public hearings at the United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), in an advisory opinion case that may become a reference point in defining countries’ legal obligations to fight climate change, in The Hague, Netherlands, on Dec. 2, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

During a visit to the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati 10 years ago, I was struck by a sobering realization: The entire country could one day be swallowed by the sea.

From the window of the plane as we descended, I was awed by the breathtaking beauty of the atoll, its coral reefs gleaming in the sunlight. But the following morning, viewing the same island from a boat offshore, I was left speechless.

From the side, the land appeared astonishingly thin—barely a sliver above the ocean—and perfectly flat.

Kiribati consists of 33 islands, most of them low-lying coral atolls, with an average elevation of just two meters.

This makes the nation particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and places it among those first at risk of being submerged as the climate crisis deepens.

Some villages have already been swallowed by rising waters, forcing residents to abandon their homes.

Even those who had moved inland voiced unease: “It’s dangerous here too. There’s no higher ground to escape to.”

Other island nations across the South Pacific are also facing the terrifying prospect of vanishing beneath the waves—erased from the map by the growing impact of global warming.

In disaster-stricken areas hit by cyclones and floods, a familiar refrain echoes: “Are we not being forced to bear the cost of climate change caused by the developed world?”

Perhaps those voices have finally been heard.

On July 23, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate-related disasters.

It declared climate change an “urgent and existential threat” and affirmed that states have a legal obligation under international law to protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

While the ICJ—the United Nations’ highest judicial authority—cannot enforce its opinions, nations that fail to comply could potentially face legal liability for damages suffered by affected countries.

The initiative reportedly began with a group of young people alarmed by the consequences of climate change.

After sending letters to Pacific nations, they found support from the government of Vanuatu, a chain of more than 80 islands, which took the lead in drafting and promoting a U.N. resolution requesting the ICJ’s opinion on states’ legal responsibilities under international law regarding climate action.

The comforts of our current way of life can, at times, come at the expense of those living elsewhere.

Only when we stand at eye level—seeing the world from their perspective—do we begin to notice what remains hidden from a distant, top-down view.

—The Asahi Shimbun, July 25

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.