(Nuku’alofa) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a “global SOS” on rising sea levels in the Pacific on Tuesday at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit.
“I am in Tonga to send a global SOS – Save our Seas [Sauvez nos mers] – on rising sea levels. A global catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise at risk,” said Mr. Guterres, who unveiled research showing that the region is rising faster than the global average.
The Pacific Islands, with their small populations and little heavy industry, collectively emit less than 0.02% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
This vast collection of volcanic islands and low-lying coral atolls is threatened by rising waters.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been monitoring measurements from tide gauges installed on Pacific beaches since the 1990s.
According to a new report released by the UN climate agency, sea levels have risen by around 15 centimetres in some areas of the Pacific over the past 30 years.
The global average is 9.4 centimeters, according to this research.