An island in India is disappearing, but some of the last residents say they can't afford to move away

Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

A fisherman speaks with others as they prepare to cast a net in the waters near Ghoramara Island, India, on October 24, 2018.

• Ghoramara Island, located in eastern India, is gradually disappearing due to rising sea levels.
• The island is only about 1.8 square miles in size - half of it was 20 years ago.
• Most residents have left, but some say they can't afford to resettle.
• These images show what life is like on the island now.

The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, stretches across the border between India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to endangered tigers, dolphins, and 300 species of birds.

But this biodiversity, along with thousands of people living on islands in nearby river deltas, are in danger due to rising sea levels caused by climate change.

India's Ghoramara Island is currently disappearing. Once home to 40,000 people, Ghoramara's population has decreased to roughly 4,000 today. It's now only 1.8 square miles in size - half the area it had 20 years ago.

Though some of the island's remaining residents would prefer to live elsewhere, they say they can't afford to leave.

"If a tsunami or a big cyclone hits this island we will be finished," Sanjib Sagar, a village leader, told Reuters.

Here's what life on Ghoramara looks like.