The threat comes not only from eroding coastlines but saltwater that floods crops and freshwater lenses.

A recent article on Huffington Post adds to our understanding of the crisis.

Excerpt:

The country can hold on for only a few months without rain. Thirsty Marshallese, many of whom rely on their own much smaller rainwater catchment containers, won’t have anything to drink or wash with. Dehydration, starvation, malnutrition and disease have been known to follow. Crops fail. Sensitive groundwater reservoirs become contaminated.

Representatives from the Marshalls and other island nations were among those aggressively advocating for action on climate change at the United Nations conference in Paris last month.