WMO Warns of Severe Sea Level Rise in Pacific Islands

A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report released on Tuesday highlights that sea level rise in the Pacific Ocean is exceeding the global average, putting low-lying island nations at greater risk.

Globally, sea levels are rising faster due to the continued burning of fossil fuels, which melts ice sheets and causes water to expand as ocean temperatures increase. However, the WMO report reveals that in certain parts of the Pacific, specifically north and east of Australia, the rate of sea level rise is significantly higher than the global average increase of 3.4 millimeters per year over the past 30 years.

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WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated that human activities have diminished the ocean’s ability to protect us, transforming it from a vital resource into a growing threat. The regional State of the Climate report 2023, presented at a forum in Tonga, notes that since 1980, the frequency of coastal flooding has surged, with islands like the Cook Islands and French Polynesia experiencing many more instances of flooding than in previous years.

These flooding events are often linked to tropical cyclones, which may be becoming more intense due to rising sea surface temperatures. In 2023 alone, the Pacific region reported over 34 hazards, including storms and floods, which resulted in more than 200 deaths. The report also noted that only one-third of small island developing states have early warning systems in place.

A WMO spokesperson emphasized that the impact of rising sea levels is especially severe for Pacific islands, which have an average elevation of just one to two meters (3.3 to 6.5 feet) above sea level. In a bid to raise awareness, Tuvalu’s foreign minister famously addressed the UN climate conference in 2021 while standing knee-deep in seawater.

The report warns that sea levels will continue to rise globally for centuries to millennia due to ongoing ocean heat absorption and ice sheet mass loss.

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