Rising sea levels will cause “increasing levels of misery” that threaten the future of nearly a billion people living in low-lying coastal areas, the UN secretary-general has warned, as they increasingly They are vulnerable to storms, coastal erosion and floods.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the world’s average sea level has risen faster than in any previous century for at least 3,000 years.
NASA says that with Earth’s temperature rising by about one degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit), sea levels have risen 160 to 210 millimeters (six to eight inches), about half of that since 1993.
“Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery,” said Antonio Guterres, who earlier this week put sea level rise at the top of the UN General Assembly’s international agenda.
Guterres warned of “swamping of communities, contamination of fresh water, destruction of crops, damage to infrastructure, destruction of biodiversity and destruction of economies – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture and tourism collapsing”.
According to the report of the World Meteorological Organization, the average sea level in the world has reached its highest level in the last year. The United Nations reported that the rate of increase in the past decade is more than double the rate of sea level rise in the first decade of satellite records, from 1993 to 2002.
The main cause of sea level rise is climate change caused by humans. Ryan Hubert, vice-president for climate and environment affairs at the United Nations Foundation, told Al Jazeera: The melting of land ice and the expansion of sea water as it warms are the main drivers of rising water levels around the world.
The ocean is actually one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change. It absorbs the excess heat that is released into the atmosphere. “But the problem is that as water warms, water expands, which scientists say accounts for about half of the sea level rise we’re seeing.”
“The ocean is full”
Last month, Guterres said, “The ocean is flooding” and that it is “a crisis that is entirely man-made.”
According to the United Nations, one out of every 10 people on Earth lives near the sea. It also noted that people living near the coast in countries including Bangladesh, China, India, the Netherlands and Pakistan “will be at risk and potentially suffer from catastrophic flooding”.
Also, cities like Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Lagos, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai are at risk.
Pacific islands face increasing threats to their economic survival and even existence. Small islands with low elevations face the most critical threats. Rising sea levels and other climate impacts are already forcing people to relocate in Pacific countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
According to a study cited by the IPCC, the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati could become uninhabitable by 2100, creating 600,000 stateless climate refugees.
“The first and most important way to prevent sea level rise is to limit global greenhouse gas emissions,” Hubert added.
For small island developing States—especially low-lying islands in the Pacific such as the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu—no issue is more pressing or important. Sea level rise not only threatens their livelihood and culture, but also their existence on the map.
“We need to invest in climate adaptation and resilience.”
Flooding has increased soil salinity, reduced crop yield and weakened trees. Infrastructure such as roads and power lines have been destroyed.
The UN has also warned that the effects of saltwater flooding can range from damage to coastal habitats, fish stocks, agricultural land as well as infrastructure, and can affect the ability of coastal communities to sustain their livelihoods.
In addition, the WHO says, “Floods can contaminate fresh water supplies, promote water-borne diseases, and lead to stress and mental health problems.”
Countries at risk whose main source of income is tourism can also suffer through damage to beaches, resorts and coral reefs.
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