Climate Change: Sea Levels Near Pacific Islands Rising Faster Than Global Average

(Patria) - Sea levels in the southwest Pacific are rising faster than the global average, threatening low-lying islands, while heat damages marine ecosystems, Reuters reported.

In its report on the state of the climate in the southwest Pacific for 2022, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that in some areas, water levels are rising by about 4 mm per year, slightly above the global average rate. This means that low-lying territories such as Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands could be flooded over time, destroying agricultural and habitable land with residents unable to relocate to higher altitudes.

The report adds that marine heatwaves occurred over a large area northeast of Australia and south of Papua New Guinea for more than six months, affecting marine life and the livelihoods of local communities.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said that El Niño, the warming of surface water temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean that returned this year, will strongly affect the region.

"This will have a major impact on the southwest Pacific region as it is often associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns, and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching," Taalas said.

The region recorded 35 natural disasters last year, including floods and storms, which killed more than 700 people, the report states. These hazards directly affected more than 8 million people.

Although the number of reported weather disasters in the region decreased last year compared to 2021, the scale of economic losses due to floods and weather disasters increased, the report said. Damage from floods, including in Australia and the Philippines, amounted to $8.5 billion, almost triple that of the previous year.