Sea level rising fast around Pacific islands
Sea level rise in the Pacific Ocean is outstripping the global average, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report to be released as climate change imperils low-lying island states with coastal flooding and hastened erosion.
The impact of rising water levels on many Pacific islands is considered disproportionately high, since their average elevation is just a meter or two above sea level, and a majority of the population lives in areas proximate to the coast.
In many areas of the western tropical Pacific, sea level has risen approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 in), close to or nearly twice the global rate measured since 1993. In the central tropical Pacific, the WMO reports that sea level has risen approximately 5–10 cm (2–4 in).
The findings were part of the 2023 State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific, which was released by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga.
Sea surface temperatures are also rising, with the WMO reporting that marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency since 1980, which are both more intense and longer lasting. This can harm fish stock and marine ecosystems, and also trigger widespread coral bleaching or die-off. Warmer ocean waters and sea surface temperatures can also provide the fuel for tropical cyclones and storms to intensify.
Climate change is largely driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), even under moderate climate warming scenarios, marine heatwaves will continue to become more frequent and longer lasting.
The WMO report said further rises across the planet were inexorable and would continue for centuries due to continuing deep ocean heat uptake and mass loss from ice sheets. -Report from Reuters
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