A young Japanese woman is working to raise awareness about the impact of global warming on Tuvalu, a small Pacific island that could become one of the first nations to be submerged if sea levels continue to rise.
Haruna Kitazoe, 26, who hails from Kochi Prefecture, returned to Japan in April after spending about four years on the low-lying island as an official for Tokyo-based nonprofit organization Tuvalu Overview.
"The land is too slim. Do people actually live on the island?" said Kitazoe, recalling the first time she laid eyes on Tuvalu from the air.