Santa Cruz del Islote, part of the San Bernardo archipelago, a few miles off Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is typical of many of the world’s low-lying coastal regions now at the forefront of the escalating battle against the climate crisis.
The archipelago’s 10 tiny islands are part of a protected natural park and are home to about 1,500 people. They lie amid an intricate web of coral reefs and a dense maze of mangroves at an average of only 2 metres (6ft) above the waterline.
Global sea levels are expected to rise by up to 30cm by 2050, threatening the livelihood of San Bernardo’s people, and ultimately the very existence of the islands.