Some regions of the Pacific Ocean are facing even faster sea level rise than the global average

According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization, global sea levels rose by an average of 3.4 mm per year between 1993 and 2023.

Pacific archipelagos face risk of being submerged. In some areas of the ocean, water levels are rising faster than the global average, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released Tuesday, August 27, at the Pacific Islands Forum. The 18 member states, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia, are “on the front lines of the battle against climate change”said Baron Waqa, the organization’s secretary general, at the opening of the summit.

In thirty years, between 1993 and 2023, sea levels worldwide have risen by an average of 3.4 mm each year. But in the Pacific, the rise in water levels is higher than average in several areas, including around Southeast Asia (4.52 mm) and in southern Oceania (4.13 mm).

“As ocean temperatures vary, just as air temperatures vary across the world, so does sea level.”explains Peer Hechler, a scientist at the WMO, to franceinfo. In addition to the melting of glaciers and ice caps, the rise in sea level is also caused by the warming of the oceans. This phenomenon causes the water to expand, which increases the volume of the ocean.

However, during the period 1981-2023, “nearly the entire southwest Pacific showed a trend of ocean surface warming, reaching +0.4°C per decade” in places, the report details. It is “three times faster than the world average”estimated at +0.15°C per decade. A dynamic that will be further accentuated in 2023, under the combined effect of El Niño and global warming.

“Greenhouse gases – generated largely by the burning of fossil fuels – are causing our planet to overheat. And the sea is suffering the consequences.”

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN

in a press release

“Global average sea levels are rising at an unprecedented rate. The ocean is overflowing.”generalizes Antonio Guterres. According to the WMO report, sea levels have risen by about 11 cm since 1993 and the rise has been faster in recent years. “If we average over several decades, we can see the acceleration, with 2.1 mm/year over 1993-2002, against 4.8 mm/year over 2014-2023”says Peer Hechler.

This phenomenon threatens millions of people and entire archipelagos in the Pacific region. “Human activities, through rising waters, are transforming a lifelong friend into a growing threat”says Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary General. “We are already seeing increased coastal flooding, shoreline retreat, saltwater contamination of freshwater supplies and community displacement.”

“A global catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise in jeopardy.”

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN

in a press release

And experts expect sea levels to continue to rise in the region. For example, the sea in Sydney, Australia, could rise by 56 cm by 2090, according to the worst-case scenario outlined in a recent government report. “Communities, economies and ecosystems across the South West Pacific region are significantly and significantly affected by its cascading impacts. [du réchauffement climatique]insists Céleste Saulo. It is increasingly clear that we are running out of time to reverse the trend.”

Since the 19th century, the average temperature of the Earth has warmed by 1.1°C. Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, consumers of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its speed, threatens the future of our societies and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energies, moderation, reduction of meat consumption – exist. Discover our answers to your questions on the climate crisis.