A new World Bank study will examine the potential legal implications of sea-level rise on the maritime and legal rights of Pacific Island nations.

The study aims to provide a path-breaking review of key legal questions and highlights that some international legal conventions may need to be reconsidered.

The new study titled ‘Legal Dimensions of Sea Level Rise: Pacific Perspectives’, sets out the latest developments in international law to support policy considerations now underway in the Pacific and around the world.

The report will also assess how states would defend their existing territories and marine resources in accordance with international law when dealing with rising seas and land loss.

Existence of statehood and continuity of sovereignty, if a nation were to become uninhabitable, will also be considered.