In the breathtaking but vulnerable landscape of Tonga, a pressing call to action was voiced by Guterres during a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum.
This assembly includes nations that are profoundly threatened by climate-related phenomena such as rising sea levels.
I am in Tonga to issue a global SOS – Save Our Seas – concerning rising sea levels. A global catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise at risk Guterres declared, emphasizing the urgency of the situation
The WMO’s alarming report
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a key climate monitoring body of the United Nations, unveiled a report last Monday detailing the escalating rise in sea levels, driven by global warming and the resultant melting of ice sheets and glaciers.
The report highlights that the rise in sea levels in the Pacific Ocean surpasses the global average, especially affecting small islands where populations are most vulnerable.
This phenomenon occurs as melted ice from West Antarctica flows into the Pacific, due to warmer waters and ocean currents, according to the WMO.
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Due to rising sea levels, the ocean is no longer a longtime friend but an increasing threat stated Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO
The organization also points out that other effects of climate change, like ocean acidification and marine heatwaves, further disadvantage the southwest Pacific.
This is an insane situation remarked Guterres
“The rise of the seas is a crisis entirely created by humanity. A crisis that will soon reach an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety.”
Small emitters facing big threats
The sparsely populated Pacific islands, with minimal heavy industry, collectively contribute less than 0.02% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually.
[clube_cta]According to the United Nations, most people in the South Pacific live within five kilometers of the coast. Rising seas are swallowing land and contaminating food and water sources.
The WMO has been monitoring tide gauges installed on beaches in the region since the early 1990s.
Their recent report revealed that over the past 30 years, sea levels have risen about 15 centimeters in some parts of the Pacific—significantly higher than the global average of 9.4 centimeters.
It’s increasingly clear that we are rapidly running out of time to turn the tide said Celeste Saulo, leading authority at the monitoring agency
While some locations like Kiribati and the Cook Islands have seen rises close to or below the global average, capitals like Samoa and Fiji experienced nearly triple that increase.
In Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific nation, land is so scarce that children use the international airport runway as their makeshift playground.
Scientists monitoring these changes warn that even under moderate scenarios, Tuvalu could be nearly wiped off the map within 30 years.
It’s disaster after disaster, and we’re losing our ability to rebuild or withstand another cyclone or flood lamented Climate Minister Maina Talia of Tuvalu during an interview with AFP at Monday’s summit
Pacific nations seek urgent actions
During the summit, Pacific nations explored ways to compel polluting countries to cut carbon emissions and fund climate adaptation programs.
The need for financing for losses and damages exists today, and costs will only escalate if there is no urgent climate action now stated Rosanne Martyr, a researcher at Climate Analytics Institute
