Melisa Laelan, Chief Executive Officer of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, describes the imminent dangers of climate change in the Islands and her plans to assist Marshallese communities in Arkansas and in the Islands.

#5 – Rising Waters

In 1946, the United States began nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Nearly seventy years later, Northwest Arkansas is home to the largest population of Marshallese in the continental U.S. As they face the immediate impacts of climate change in their traditional homelands, the number of Marshallese living as nuclear and climate refugees in Arkansas continues to grow.  
 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marshall Islanders in the area have been disproportionately affected by the virus, accounting for half the deaths in the region. Arkansas Atoll is a podcast that shares the stories of the Northwest Arkansas Marshallese—their history, their hurdles and their hopes for the future.

Society & Culture

Documentary

In 1946, the United States began nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Nearly seventy years later, Northwest Arkansas is home to the largest population of Marshallese in the continental U.S. As they face the immediate impacts of climate change in their traditional homelands, the number of Marshallese living as nuclear and climate refugees in Arkansas continues to grow. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marshall Islanders in the area have been disproportionately affected by the virus, accounting for half the deaths in the region. Arkansas Atoll is a podcast that shares the stories of the Northwest Arkansas Marshallese—their history, their hurdles and their hopes for the future.

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#5 – Rising Waters

#5 – Rising Waters