The Moai statues of Easter Island are now under threat from the effects of climate change.

For over 800 years, a series of awe-inspiring statues have loomed over Rapa Nui, a secluded island in the southeast Pacific Ocean. These 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) Moai statues may have withstood nearly a thousand years, but the impacts of climate change now threaten to destroy this enigmatic piece of ancient history.

The nearly 1,000 Moai statues, built between the 10th and 16th centuries on Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island, a name given by an 18th-century Dutch explorer), are facing damage from rising sea levels, powerful waves, and increasing erosion, as highlighted in The New York Times on March 15, 2018. Beneath many of these statues lie ancient human remains, while the Moai themselves gaze over both land and sea.

"In the past, some of the moai have been knocked down—by tsunamis among other causes—and have been restored. As a result, not every site remains in flawless condition," explains Adam Markham, deputy director of climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "What's different now is that the threat has become even more severe. The speed of change is unprecedented."

Island Vulnerability

Rapa Nui, a volcanic island now part of Chile, is the most isolated inhabited landmass on Earth, situated about 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometers) from Chile's mainland and 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) east of Tahiti. The island's vulnerability is compounded by its isolated location, with many of the moai and the ahu (platforms on which they stand) situated along the island's coastline. As Markham notes, rising ocean levels have made all islands globally vulnerable to erosion. Some climate models predict that the accelerated melting of global ice sheets could cause sea levels to rise by 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters) by 2100, which would lead to flooding and coastal destruction from violent waves.

On Rapa Nui, damage from encroaching waves is already visible. On the southern coast, a 10-foot-high (305-centimeter-high) stone wall at the Ura Uranga Te Mahina site collapsed last year, according to a report from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute. Ovahe Beach, once covered in pink sand, now mostly consists of rocks, as the waves have carried away the sand. Additionally, a nearby burial site is now exposed and at risk of further erosion. Conservationists are testing a newly constructed sea wall in one part of the island to assess its effectiveness, according to a report by The New York Times. However, it remains uncertain whether the walls will be able to withstand the force of the ocean.

Further inland, the Orongo site, which surrounds a volcanic crater, is also vulnerable to storms and erosion. This location was historically significant in the 1600s when members of the 'Birdman' cult would participate in an annual competition. Young men would descend the crater's edge, swim to a nearby island, collect eggs laid by the sooty tern, and return. The first to return with an egg was declared the winner, and their clan would rule the island for the following year. Hieroglyphics at the crater site depict this ritual, but now landslides and storm-induced erosion threaten the preservation of these ancient carvings.

Markham emphasizes that the growing occurrence of severe storms is another sign of climate change. "As the frequency of these events increases," he states, "the damage compounds over time, adding to what has already been destroyed."

Is Relocation an Option?

Placing the most vulnerable moai and hieroglyphics in safe, protected spaces could help preserve them. However, moving these statues would not only risk damaging them but also disregard their important function as burial markers for the island's ancestors. The 1995 designation of Rapa Nui National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site underscores the need to protect the statues where they currently stand.

"The issue is similar to any dilemma about relocating historical artifacts from a cemetery," says Markham. "Difficult decisions will have to be made, but I doubt there will be significant movement of artifacts on Easter Island."

This isn't the first time the island has faced ecological decline. In fact, some see Easter Island's past as a cautionary environmental lesson. Pollen analysis from the island's soil suggests it was once covered with a dense palm forest when first settled around 1200. By the time a Dutch explorer arrived in the 1700s, he described the land as being "remarkably barren and poor." What happened to the island's trees?

A theory of "ecocide" proposed by U.S. biologist Jared Diamond in his 2005 book, "Collapse — How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed", suggests that the island's human inhabitants may have exhausted the land's resources by extensively clearing its forests. The loss of these forests likely left the soil exposed to erosion, making agriculture increasingly difficult.

However, this theory remains controversial. Later research indicates that other factors, such as the arrival of the Polynesian rat and climatic shifts, might have also played a role in the island's deforestation. As Markham notes, "There's a lot of ongoing debate about the island's history and the forces behind its deforestation." But in general, there are many other places globally where we can show that mismanaging resources and neglecting the environment can result in significant consequences.

The Tourism Factor

Today, the island is predominantly covered by meadows and supports a permanent population of around 5,700 people. The island's economy is entirely reliant on tourism, with approximately 100,000 visitors contributing over $70 million to local businesses last year. The destruction of the island's cultural artifacts due to climate change poses not only an economic threat but also a risk to a historic heritage that is crucial to both the people of Easter Island and to humanity as a whole.

"Easter Island is important not only to its local inhabitants, but also as a global heritage site," says Markham. "It holds the power to connect with the collective human experience, emphasizing its significance to all of humankind."