Many small islands in the Pacific, and around the world, are facing significant water stress.
Most of the islands rely on ground water that is replenished by rainfall.
Researchers from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia were asked to assess the state of this and their report has just been published in Nature Climate Change.
The study author, Diana Allen, told Don Wiseman that what they found is that a lot of the islands are already facing stress because of water shortages.
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Sea level rise is a growing problem for Pacific Island communities. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades