EITA, Kiribati — We are following Rupee home when we suddenly find ourselves knee-deep in seawater.

An expert on the shallow route to her house, 15-year-old Rupee asks us to follow her closely through the water. As we emerge from the sea, a toilet seat drifts past our ankles. Her little brother splashes us, barely escaping Rupee’s swat.

“Cute... But annoying!” she says, rolling her eyes at his antics.

When it comes to global warming, Kiribati is known as a “frontline nation,” and if Kiribati is the front line, then Rupee’s neighborhood will be one of the first casualties.