A new study warns that coastal flooding driven by rising sea levels could submerge parts of Easter Island,l endangering its iconic moai statues by 2080. The threat poses not only a cultural loss for the island Rapa Nui community but also a severe economic challenge, as the statues are central to its tourism industry.
Easter Island, located in the eastern Pacific and forming one corner of the Polynesian Triangle along with Hawaii and New Zealand, is home to hundreds of monolithic statues carved between 1250 and 1500 CE. Most stand on stone platforms, or ahu, along the island’s perimeter. In 1995, the Rapa Nui National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Researchers from the University of Hawaii Mānoa created a high-resolution digital model of the coastline and simulated future wave activity under different sea level rise scenarios. Their findings show that by 2080 seasonal waves could reach Ahu Tongariki one of the island most famous ceremonial platforms and threaten 51 cultural sites in the area.
The projections underscore the urgency for climate adaptation measures to safeguard the island heritage and economy, as sea level rise continues to reshape vulnerable coastlines worldwide.