World Leaders Need to See Rising Pacific Seas, UN Official Says

Amina Mohammed wants the leaders of the world’s largest economies to stand on a Pacific atoll and see the effects of rising seas for themselves. The United Nations deputy secretary-general made the appeal in Palau, where Pacific leaders are meeting to discuss climate change, crime and regional security.

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We do already know that a warming climate is changing the world's ice at extraordinary speeds, not only threatening the communities below glaciers but adding more water to our oceans.

The UN is urging G20 leaders to attend a meeting hosted by Tuvalu in October, before the next UN climate summit in Türkiye. Mohammed said they should travel to the vulnerable island nation and engage directly with the challenges facing the region. Tuvalu is preparing to relocate its population after scientists predicted that most of its land could eventually be inundated.

Palau Environment Minister Steven Victor said Pacific countries were not seeking handouts, but had fewer resources to respond to the rising seas that most directly threaten their communities. A UN report released Monday said warming oceans and melting glaciers were driving sea levels upward at a record rate. It estimated that as many as 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050, and said Pacific island states face sea-level rise at twice the global average.

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We think they should turn up and really engage with the world on what they need to do.

The report also identified a major funding shortfall. Developing countries need between $310 billion and $365 billion for climate adaptation, but received only $26 billion in adaptation finance in 2023.

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The Pacific is not begging for any handouts.

Pacific reefs are under additional pressure. A study by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, based on data from 37,000 reefs in 120 countries, found that global hard coral cover declined 9.5% over four decades. Major bleaching events have occurred every five to six years since 2010, leaving reefs less time to recover. Lead author Manuel Gonzalez Rivero said climate-driven marine heatwaves, poor water quality, overfishing and coastal development were weakening reefs further. Australia, the Pacific and the Caribbean are among the hardest-hit regions.

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We are steadily eroding the conditions they need to recover.