In local folklore the Marshall Islands are frequently referred to as ‘jolet jen Anij’, or ‘gifts from God’ because they are a sanctuary in the middle of the ocean, close to the Equator and safe from the storm belts that plague islands to the North and South. But these 29 atolls, home to 57,000 people, are now under threat as never before. Sea level rise is already eating away at the beaches. None of the 1,225 palm covered islets is more than two metres (seven feet) above sea level, and few are more than 50 metres (55 yards) across. Unless drastic action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the government fears evacuation is inevitable and the nation and its culture will disappear.