It was a sad day for Nadin Morales. "We're going to leave behind the homes we've known all our lives," she said: "the relationship with the sea, where we fish, where we bathe and where the tourists come. But the sea is sinking the island little by little."¹

The family was one of 300 living on the tiny CaribbeanThe region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies. island of Gardi Sugdub. But rising sea levels have been a growing problem.

Every year, particularly with the strong winds of November and December, flooding affects the streets and houses. Attempts to keep the water at bay with rocks and coral have been in vain.

New homes have been provided for the islanders on the mainland. These are a 30-minute walk from the coast.

The move, says local teacher Evelio Lopez, is a great challenge: "More than 200 years of our culture is from the sea, so leaving this island means a lot of things."

PanamaA Latin American country that links Central America and South America. It has a population of 4.4 million. 's government estimates that 62 other communities will have to move in the decades to come. On average they are just half a metre above sea level. The cost will be almost £1bn.

Experts say that the country will lose 2.01% of its coastal land by 2050. By then the sea will have risen by another 27cm.² Around 38,000 people will be affected.

The World Bank estimates that 216 million people on the planet are in danger of being displaced.³ The damage caused by rising sea levels could cost over £4tn.⁴

The Maldives in the Indian Ocean are especially at risk. So are Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.

But countries from the Netherlands to New Zealand are also having to find answers to the threat. Some are experimenting with floating homes.

China is creating "sponge cities" in which open areas and wetlands absorb water to stop flooding. VeniceA seaport in Italy. It is built on many small islands. has a barrier with 78 gates in the sea which can be raised to block high tides.  

Can we adapt to climate change?

Yes: The human race has flourished largely as a result of its ability to adapt to different environments. Scientists can be relied upon to come up with clever ways of combating extreme weather.

No: It is happening too fast. Sea levels have risen by approximately 10cm since 1993 and the speed is accelerating - in Panama's case it has gone from 1mm per year in the 1960s to 3.5mm.

Or... We can, but it will come at a heavy financial and cultural price. We should spend as much as we can to combat climate change now, in order to limit the bill for damage in the future.