But it is factually real, so real that you should be afraid that it’s actually happening right before our eyes.
Two islands have gone missing
According to The Jakarta Post, two small islands in Indonesia have gone underwater.Betet Island and Gundul Island in South Sumatra have reportedly vanished as a result of rising sea levels caused by climate change.
Both islands are now submerged one metre and three metres below sea level respectively, the report said.
“These islands were uninhabited. One of the islands, Betet, is a part of Berbak-Sembilang National Park,” the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) South Sumatra executive director Hairul Sobri was quoted as saying.
A quick check on Google Maps has confirmed that both islands have indeed disappeared, sadly.
Hairul also added that four islands in the same area are on the brink of sinking if no effective measures are taken to address the ever-rising sea levels.
The four are Burung Island, the elevation of which is currently at sea level; Kalong Island and Salah Namo Island, both of which are currently two metres above sea level; and Kramat Island, which is three metres above sea level.
This is definitely an eye-opener for many and we hope a lot more efforts will be taken to help prevent more islands from sinking.
Who knows, some of the beautiful islands in Malaysia could be next.