UN Chief Sounds Global Alarm on Rising Sea Levels

[Social Media]

 

The rising threat of climate change has reached an alarming point, and the world is being urged to act before it is too late. During a visit to Tonga, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dire warning: Pacific island nations are in "grave danger" from rising sea levels, and the world must "answer the SOS before it is too late." His visit comes at a critical time, as these small island developing states face an existential threat from the relentless advance of the ocean.

 

Guterres' call to action was made on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum, the region’s most significant annual political gathering. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, imploring the world to “look to the Pacific and listen to the science.” His remarks were accompanied by the release of two new reports highlighting the accelerating dangers posed by climate change, particularly in the Pacific region.

 

One of the reports, compiled by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), paints a grim picture. It reveals that sea-surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. This dramatic increase has had devastating consequences. The report also indicates that marine heatwaves in the region have doubled in frequency since 1980 and have become more intense and longer-lasting. Last year alone, the southwest Pacific experienced 34 hydrometeorological hazard events, such as storms and floods, which led to over 200 deaths and affected more than 25 million people.

 

The second report, titled *Surging Seas in a Warming World*, was published by the UN's climate action team. It warns that the climate crisis and sea-level rise are "no longer distant threats," especially for the Pacific's vulnerable island nations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had already concluded in 2021 that the global mean sea level was rising at rates unprecedented in at least the last 3,000 years due to human-induced global warming. However, the new UN report raises even more alarm, suggesting that future sea-level rise could be larger and occur sooner than previously anticipated. This concern is rooted in emerging research on climate "tipping points" and the dynamics of ice sheets.

 

Sea-level rise is driven primarily by the melting of land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms. Guterres stressed the destructive potential of this phenomenon, warning that it has "unparalleled power to cause havoc to coastal cities and ravage coastal economies." He highlighted the unique vulnerability of Pacific islands, where 90% of the population lives within 5 kilometers of the coast, and about 50% of infrastructure is located within 500 meters of the sea. If global temperatures rise to 3°C above preindustrial levels—a scenario that is likely under current policies—Pacific islands could face at least 15 centimeters of additional sea-level rise by mid-century, along with more than 30 days of coastal flooding per year in some locations.

 

"I am in Tonga to issue a global SOS—Save Our Seas—on rising sea levels," Guterres declared, emphasizing the unprecedented and human-driven nature of the crisis. "This is a crazy situation. Rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making, a crisis that will soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety. But if we save the Pacific, we also save ourselves."

 

In the lead-up to the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan this November, Guterres is working to build momentum for significant global action. He called on world leaders to drastically cut global emissions and pursue a "fast and fair" phase-out of fossil fuels. Additionally, he emphasized the need for a "massive" increase in financial support for vulnerable countries, stressing that "we need a surge in funds to deal with surging seas."

 

Climate finance is expected to be a key topic at COP29, especially as the previous commitment by wealthy nations to mobilize $100 billion in climate finance annually is set to expire. On Tuesday, an alliance of civil society groups urged Australia to "step up and support our Pacific neighbors on the frontlines of the climate crisis." These groups, including ActionAid Australia and Oxfam Australia, called on the Australian government to endorse a new $1 trillion global climate finance goal, arguing that this could encourage other wealthy nations to increase their contributions.

 

"Australia and New Zealand’s climate finance contributions are falling short of need," the organizations stated in a report titled *Seizing the Moment: A New Climate Finance Goal that Delivers for the Pacific*. The report noted that while Australia has committed to providing $3 billion over five years, this is "well short of its estimated fair share of the $100 billion goal," which would require about A$4 billion annually.

 

Rufino Varea, the regional director of the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, highlighted the stark inequities faced by Pacific communities, stating that they are "enduring some of the world’s worst climate impacts despite contributing the least to the crisis." Michelle Higelin, the executive director of ActionAid Australia, added that "we can’t tinker around the edges when it comes to climate finance. The climate crisis is already pushing Pacific countries into excruciating debt and deepening gender inequality."

 

The urgency of these issues is underscored by the timing of Guterres' visit. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also due to arrive in Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting, where the issue of climate finance will likely be at the forefront of discussions. The forum, which brings together Australia, New Zealand, and 16 other Pacific nations, provides a crucial opportunity for regional leaders to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change and to push for stronger global action.

 

As the world inches closer to the tipping points outlined in the latest scientific reports, the warnings from the UN chief serve as a sobering reminder of the stakes involved. The Pacific islands, with their unique vulnerabilities, are a stark example of the urgent need for a coordinated global response to climate change. The decisions made in the coming months and years will not only determine the future of these small island nations but will also have profound implications for the entire planet.

 

Credit: The Guardian 2024-08-28

 

 

 

Get the ASEAN NOW daily NEWSLETTER - Click HERE to subscribe

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had already concluded in 2021 that the global mean sea level was rising at rates unprecedented in at least the last 3,000 years due to human-induced global warming.

They just don't give up, do they?

 

Either sea level rises higher around Pacific islands than it does around NZ, or someone is making things up.

 

Never mind, just take lots of western money and give it to them and I'm sure that'll fix the problem.

 

However, the REAL reason the islands have higher sea level is explained by a reputable source.

 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2419166-earthquakes-hastened-sea-rise-in-pacific-islands-by-sinking-the-ground/

Projections of flood risk due to sea level rise on the Samoan Islands underestimate the rate at which the islands are sinking after two earthquakes hit in 2009

[Donga]

There are studies showing the Pacific Islands are not sinking, which the media and the UN glibly ignore. Pacific Islands want money and will do anything, including leverage the Chinese interests in their fishing zones, to get it 😅

[300sd]

13 hours ago, Social Media said:

During a visit to Tonga, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a dire warning: Pacific island nations are in "grave danger" from rising sea levels, and the world must "answer the SOS before it is too late."

Those Islands will be there long after that Guterres is gone. Wish he'd hurry it up and f...oh I mean go!

[herfiehandbag]

I wonder if it is possible to calculate to what extent the hot air issuing from this little fat Portuguese socialist functionary is adding to global warming?

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, Donga said:

There are studies showing the Pacific Islands are not sinking, which the media and the UN glibly ignore. Pacific Islands want money and will do anything, including leverage the Chinese interests in their fishing zones, to get it 😅

Looking forward to your links to reputable sources for your claim.

[Donga]

 

23 hours ago, stevenl said:

Looking forward to your links to reputable sources for your claim.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/505365/coral-atolls-might-outgrow-rising-seas-study

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/11/30/low-lying-pacific-island-has-more-land-above-sea-level-than-in-1.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-08/why-are-hundreds-of-pacific-islands-getting-bigger/13038430

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213305421000059

https://phys.org/news/2018-02-pacific-nation-bigger.html

So many other references if you search. Pity one eyed media incapable of deviating from the doomsday narrative. You can't blame people of being skeptical when the doomsday drums bang on and on ad nauseum, e.g. Great Barrier Reef and yet it continues to go through the bleaching and restoration cycles as it has for centuries.

By all means, deal with climate change, but be honest about it.

Edited August 29 by Donga

[stevenl]

38 minutes ago, Donga said:

 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/505365/coral-atolls-might-outgrow-rising-seas-study

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/11/30/low-lying-pacific-island-has-more-land-above-sea-level-than-in-1.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-08/why-are-hundreds-of-pacific-islands-getting-bigger/13038430

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213305421000059

https://phys.org/news/2018-02-pacific-nation-bigger.html

So many other references if you search. Pity one eyed media incapable of deviating from the doomsday narrative. You can't blame people of being skeptical when the doomsday drums bang on and on ad nauseum, e.g. Great Barrier Reef and yet it continues to go through the bleaching and restoration cycles as it has for centuries.

By all means, deal with climate change, but be honest about it.

Thanks.

Your links confirm rising sea levels.

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Thanks.

Your links confirm rising sea levels.

Probably only looked at the title, and never read the article.

[Donga]

5 hours ago, stevenl said:

Thanks.

Your links confirm rising sea levels.

 

The islands are not sinking, as I said, and everything else is hypothetical warnings and money grabbing.

Adaptation is a wonderful thing.

Edited August 29 by Donga