Rising Seas Threaten Us All – UN Chief Warns

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning to major polluters, urging them to take immediate action to cut emissions or face a global catastrophe.

Speaking at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga, Guterres emphasized the dire situation facing the Pacific region, which he described as the “most vulnerable area of the world.”

“There is an enormous injustice in relation to the Pacific and it’s the reason I am here,” Guterres said.

“The small islands don’t contribute to climate change, but everything that happens because of climate change is multiplied here.” He further warned that the “surging seas are coming for us all,” during his speech at the forum, coinciding with the UN’s release of two critical reports on rising sea levels and their threat to Pacific island nations.

The World Meteorological Organization’s report, “State of the Climate in the South West Pacific,” highlights a triple threat for the region: accelerating sea-level rise, ocean warming, and acidification—where the ocean becomes more acidic due to increased absorption of carbon dioxide.

“The reason is clear: greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly generated by burning fossil fuels – are cooking our planet,” Guterres stated, adding, “The sea is taking the heat – literally.”

The forum’s theme this year, “transformative resilience,” was put to the test immediately when heavy rains flooded the new auditorium on the opening day, and a magnitude 6.9 earthquake prompted evacuations.

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Joseph Sikulu, Pacific director at the climate advocacy group 350, noted the challenges, saying, “It’s such a stark reminder of how volatile things are within our region, and how important it is that we need to prepare for everything.”

Nearby, a street parade featured dancers from various Pacific communities, including Torres Strait Islanders, Tongans, and Samoans, holding banners that read, “We are not drowning, we are fighting,” and “Sea levels are rising – so are we.”

The parade underscored the existential threat faced by these communities, as highlighted by the UN Climate Action Team’s report “Surging Seas in a Warming World,” which found that global sea levels are rising at unprecedented rates not seen in the past 3,000 years. In the tropical Pacific, sea levels have risen by as much as 15cm in the last 30 years, compared to a global average of 9.4cm.

Sikulu stressed the importance of leaders, particularly from Australia and New Zealand, witnessing firsthand the resilience of Pacific peoples. “A core part of Tongan culture is our ability to be joyful throughout our adversity, and that’s how we practice our resilience,” he said. “To see and witness that, I think, is going to be important.”

This marks Guterres’ second participation in the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, an annual gathering of leaders from 18 Pacific nations, including Australia and New Zealand.

The vulnerabilities of the region were starkly highlighted during the meeting’s opening ceremony, which was marred by heavy flooding and the subsequent earthquake.

Reflecting on his previous visit to Tuvalu in 2019, where he raised alarms about rising sea levels, Guterres noted the significant changes he has observed since then, he said, “We see everywhere an enormous commitment to resist, a commitment to reduce the negative impact of climate change.”

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