'They're facing increasing food and water shortages, they're losing land, they're being forced from their homes, they're dealing with rising cases of malaria and they're facing much more intense weather patterns,' Hewett said.

The discussions at the Pacific Island Forum are to be conducted as world leaders try to hammer out a new treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before the current commitment period of the Kyodo Protocol expires in 2012. Their goal is to finish it at a December conference in Copenhagen, but advance talks have been bogged down over costs.