United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said this week that ocean temperatures are rising in the Pacific Islands at three times the rate worldwide, and its population was “uniquely exposed” to the impact of rising sea levels.
He highlighted the findings of a report that showed the South West Pacific was worst hit by sea level rises, in some places by more than double the global average in the past 30 years.
“Rising seas are amplifying the frequency and severity of storm surges and coastal flooding. These floods swamp coastal communities. Ruin fisheries. Damage crops. Contaminate fresh water. All this puts Pacific Island nations in grave danger,” he said.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been monitoring tide gauges installed on the Pacific since the early 1990s. A new WMO report showed seas had risen by a global average of 9.4 centimeters, but is at around 15 cm in some parts of the Pacific, in the last 30 years.
The report also showed ocean temperatures in the South West Pacific are increasing at up to three times the rate worldwide.
Scientists have warned that, even under some moderate scenarios, the Pacific nation of Tuvalu could be almost entirely wiped off the map within the next 30 years.
Without cuts to global emissions, the Pacific Islands can expect additional sea level rise of 15 cm by 2050 and 30 days a year of coastal flooding, Guterres said.
The UN chief called for global leaders to “massively boost climate adaptation investments” in vulnerable countries. A “loss and damage” fund to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters was approved at last year’s UN climate summit, after years of lobbying, but the challenge remains to attract significant contributions to the fund from wealthier nations.
“Developed countries must deliver on their finance commitments – including the commitment to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025,” Guterres added.
The Philippines may not be located in the Southwest Pacific, the area most affected by rising sea levels and temperatures, but as an archipelago with a lot of coastline located in the Pacific Ocean, their concerns automatically become ours. We cannot just watch them sink without doing anything, either from them, or for ourselves. Aside from doing what we can to mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming, our government, representatives, and negotiators in the international community will have to step up efforts to urge wealthier countries to do their share in the effort against global warming, as well as in making funds available for the countries expected to bear the brunt of this global climate disaster that we are facing.*
