- Guterres has issued a dire warning from Tonga
- Guterres called for massive increase in financial support
- The UN report note a doubling in marine heat waves
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a dire warning from Tonga, urging the world to take immediate action to address the devastating impacts of rising sea levels on Pacific Islands.
Describing the situation as a “worldwide catastrophe,” Guterres called for a massive increase in financial support for vulnerable countries affected by the human-caused climate crisis.
Speaking at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa, Guterres emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “The ocean is overflowing… Rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making. We must respond before it’s too late.”
Two UN reports released concurrently highlight the alarming acceleration of climate-related ocean changes.
The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate report reveals that sea surface temperatures in the Southwest Pacific have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980, while sea levels have increased at nearly twice the global average over the past 30 years.
The reports also note a doubling in marine heat waves, which have become more intense and prolonged, and emphasize that oceans have absorbed 90% of global heating, contributing to sea level rise and melting ice sheets and glaciers.
Guterres’ plea for action underscores the critical need for global cooperation to address this existential threat.
