UN Secretary General warns “ocean is overflowing”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that rising sea levels will “soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale with no lifeboat to take us back to safety,” highlighting the dire threat the crisis poses to Pacific Island nations.

The big picture: Guterres’ forecast of a “worldwide catastrophe” coincides with the release of reports from the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization that detail the acceleration of rising sea levels — and its “severe and disproportionate impacts” on Pacific Islands.

• According to the UN report, the sea level recorded near Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, rose 21 centimeters between 1990 and 2020.

• An estimated 90% of Pacific Islanders live within 5 kilometers of coastlines and on most islands, over half of all infrastructure is located within 500 meters of the coast, per the report.

• These islands are particularly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and storms, which elevates the risk posed by rising sea levels, the report detailed. (Axios)

The post UN Secretary General warns “ocean is overflowing” appeared first on DailyNews.