Global catastrophe - How climate change might destroy Pacific islands
Oceans affect the life of the entire planet (photo: Getty Images)
Climate change is having a significant impact on the islands in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists predict that further global warming amid humanity's burning of fossil fuels threatens their future.
What threatens the Pacific islands
According to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) 2023 report on the state of the climate in the Southwest Pacific, Pacific islands are under a “triple whammy” that threatens their socioeconomic development and even their very existence.
According to experts, this includes
- accelerating sea level rise (which already exceeds the global average)
- heating of the ocean (as a result of global warming and the result of human activity)
- acidification of ocean waters (lowering the pH level as water absorbs more carbon dioxide or CO2)
It is noted that since 1980, the sea surface temperature in the region has risen three times faster than the global average. This has led to a significant increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of sea heat waves.
Trends in sea level change during 1993-2023 (infographic: wmo.int)
Why these islands are under attack
"A global catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise at peril... Global average sea levels are rising at an unprecedented rate. The ocean is overflowing,” emphasized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who joined the WMO report release.
He added that the reason for what is happening in the Pacific region is quite clear.
“The reason is clear: greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly generated by burning fossil fuels – are cooking our planet. And the sea is taking the heat – literally,” the official explained.
The Secretary-General noted that the islands located in the Pacific Ocean are “uniquely exposed” for a number of reasons:
- their average height above sea level is only one to two meters
- 90% of the population of these islands live within 5 km of the coast
- half of the infrastructure is located within 500 meters of the water
At the same time, Guterres recognized that the problem is global.
Sea surface temperatures in the period 1982-2022 (infographic: wmo.int)
What experts say
In 2023, 34 hazardous hydrometeorological events were recorded in the Pacific region (most of them related to storms or floods), which resulted in more than 200 deaths and affected more than 25 million people.
According to the UN Secretary-General, “Surging seas are coming for us all – together with the devastation of fishing, tourism, and the Blue Economy.”
“Across the world, around a billion people live in coastal areas threatened by our swelling ocean. Yet even though some sea level rise is inevitable, its scale, pace, and impact are not. That depends on our decisions,” Guterres added.
WMO Chief Executive Celeste Saulo added that climate change has become a global crisis and is the “defining challenge” facing humanity today.
“Communities, economies, and ecosystems throughout the South-West Pacific region are significantly affected by its cascading impacts. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” she emphasized.
The expert added that the ocean has already absorbed more than 90% of excess heat and is undergoing new changes every second, which may become irreversible over the next centuries.
“Human activities have weakened the capacity of the ocean to sustain and protect us and – through sea level rise – are transforming a lifelong friend into a growing threat... Already we are seeing more coastal flooding, shoreline retreat, saltwater contamination of freshwater supplies, and displacement of communities,” she added.
Sources: World Meteorological Organization (WMO), NASA.gov, Wikipedia.
