Slideshow: Ten Places to See Before They Disappear

Olympia, Greece

On Greece's Peloponnese Peninsula lies the valley of Olympia. It's home to incredible ancient ruins and is believed to have hosted the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C. In recent years, increasingly warm a

The Mississippi River Delta

Sea level rise is compromising this rich delta, which is of massive importance to the U.S. economy. It provides a "buffer zone" that protects the densely populated areas in Louisiana and Mi

Zahara de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain

Andalusia is famous for its fertile green pastures and productive olive orchards, which drive the region's economy. Annual rainfall in the Iberian Peninsula, home to Andalusia, is expec

Tuvalu

The highest point of this nine-island nation is a mere 16 feet above sea level. The rising waters, rising sea temperatures, and ocean acidification are all combining to issue a death sentence for the tiny nation.

The Battery, New York City

No need to emphasize the importance—economic, social, cultural—of downtown Manhattan. But it's worth noting how much of lower Manhattan is below 10 feet of elevation, including much of

Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria

Europe's "winter playground" hosts tens of millions of tourists every year from December through April. But the alpine glaciers are now retreating, high elevation permafrost is melti

Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Niger Delta is the "delicate home to 25 million people," many of whom are migrant workers in the oil industry, and the rest of whom are locals who depend on subsistence agriculture and fishing

Venice, Italy

Venice, spread over 118 small islands in a marshy lagoon, was already sinking on its own over the centuries, before climate change's impacts were even felt. Now they're getting serious about dykes, levees,

Yangtze River, China

The longest river in Asia, called by some the "Golden Gateway," snakes its way from the Tibetan plateau through many of China's provinces before arriving, 3,900 miles later, at the East China

Western Hudson Bay, Canada

And, of course, the polar bears. Western Hudson Bay is famous for them. The bay is historically covered with ice until late Spring, when it begins to melt and open up, and the polar bears—only a