FILE PHOTO: The glorious morning sun illuminates Serua Village, a captivating island community in Fiji, on July 15, 2022. With the Pacific Ocean steadily encroaching, the residents of this small village, comprising 80 individuals, are confronted with the heart-wrenching decision of whether to relocate. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo
GENEVA — The United Nations meteorological agency revealed on Friday that sea levels in the South-West Pacific are rising at a greater pace than the global average. This poses a significant threat to low-lying islands, while the heat continues to inflict damage on marine ecosystems. In its recently published State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) disclosed that water levels in certain areas were increasing by about 4 mm per year, slightly higher than the global mean rate. Consequently, low-lying territories such as Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands could potentially succumb to flooding over time, leading to the devastation of agricultural and habitable lands. Inhabitants would be left with no choice but to abandon their homes and relocate to higher elevations.
The report further highlighted that marine heatwaves had affected a large area northeast of Australia and south of Papua New Guinea for more than six months. This has had a detrimental impact on marine life and the livelihoods of local communities. Additionally, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas emphasized that the return of El Niño, a warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, will have significant repercussions for the region. Taalas stated, “This will have a substantial impact on the South-West Pacific region, as it is often accompanied by higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns, and more frequent occurrence of marine heatwaves and coral bleaching.”
According to the report, the South-West Pacific region experienced 35 natural disasters last year, including floods and storms, resulting in the loss of more than 700 lives. These hazards directly affected over 8 million people. Although the number of reported weather-related disasters in the region decreased compared to the previous year, the economic losses from flooding and weather events actually escalated. The report revealed that flood damage, including in Australia and the Philippines, reached a staggering $8.5 billion, nearly triple the amount from the previous year.
RELATED STORIES:
– Expert reveals oceanographic data: Philippine sea levels rising three times faster than the global average
– Climate crisis threatens to transform Manila and other Asian cities into large bodies of water
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Read Next
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to gain access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and over 70 other titles. You can share your subscription with up to 5 devices, listen to the news, and download articles as early as 4 am to easily share them on social media. Contact us at 896 6000 for any feedback, complaints or inquiries.
function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘2004610026278274’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘767727496894134’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’, ‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘607491687857238’); fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
