Low lying islands may be submerged, WMO: Southwest Pacific sea level rise faster than global average | Southwest Pacific | Ocean warming | WMO

"The sea level rise in the Southwest Pacific is faster than the global average, and low-lying islands may be affected." This is a "warning" given by the latest report from the World Meteorological Organization.

The report reminds that seawater warming, acidification, and an increase in extreme weather events are damaging marine ecosystems and posing serious socio-economic risks.

An annual increase of about 4 millimeters

On the 18th, at the Third Pacific Meteorological Ministerial Conference held in Fiji, the World Meteorological Organization released a report on the "2022 Southwest Pacific Climate Status".

The report points out that the overall rate of sea level rise in some regions of the Pacific is slightly higher than the global average, reaching about 4 millimeters per year in some regions. This means that over time, low-lying areas such as Tuvalu and Solomon Islands may be submerged, and agricultural and residential land will no longer exist.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, 40% of the observed global sea level rise is caused by ocean warming.

The ocean absorbs over 90% of the excess heat from the climate system, and the warming of seawater causes heat expansion, leading to a global rise in sea levels. Meanwhile, ocean warming is also altering ocean currents and indirectly altering storm paths, affecting marine ecosystems.

Since 1993, the upper ocean in most parts of the Southwest Pacific has been warming. Among them, the warming in the Solomon Sea and eastern Solomon Islands is particularly significant, with a rate exceeding the global average warming rate by 2-3 times.

In Indonesia, satellite observations of glacier area in the western part of the island of New Guinea show that it was 0.23 square kilometers in April 2022, a decrease of approximately 15% from the 0.27 square kilometers assessed in July 2021. From 2016 to 2022, the average annual reduction in glacier area was about 0.07 square kilometers.

The La Ni ñ a phenomenon known as the "anti El Ni ñ o" has not stopped the pace of Pacific warming.

Although La Ni ñ a has a temporary cooling effect, the report shows that 2022 will still be a warm year in the Pacific region, with average temperatures 0.2 ℃ to 0.3 ℃ higher than the last time La Ni ñ a ravaged.

In the past six months, multiple regions in the Pacific have also experienced ocean heatwaves, concentrated in the Solomon Sea and Coral Sea in northeastern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea.

Maximum Survival Threat

It is worrying that after three years of La Ni ñ a, an El Ni ñ o phenomenon will reappear this year, which is likely to continue to affect the Pacific region in the second half of this year, pushing up sea temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific.

"The El Ni ñ o phenomenon is not friendly to the Southwest Pacific region as it is often associated with rising temperatures, destructive weather patterns, ocean heatwaves, and coral bleaching," said Petri Taras, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization.

"The residents of the Pacific region are at the forefront of the triple global crisis impact: climate change, biodiversity loss, and marine pollution." said Sephanaya Navarrella, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Agency, stating that the Pacific region has now entered a state of climate emergency, which is currently the biggest survival threat facing the region.

Double economic losses

The report also emphasizes the socio-economic risks brought about by ocean climate change and its impact on key sectors such as agriculture.

Compared to 2021, the number of disaster events in 2022 has decreased, but the economic losses caused by floods and extreme weather events have increased.

Last year, there were 35 natural disasters in the Pacific region, including floods and storms, resulting in over 700 deaths - over 70% caused by storms. The disaster directly affected over 8 million people and caused a total economic loss of nearly 9 billion US dollars.

Among them, the economic losses caused by floods reached 8.5 billion US dollars, almost three times that of 2021.

If the economic losses caused by disasters in the Southwest Pacific region in 2022 are compared with the average level of the past 20 years, it can be found that the losses caused by floods in 2022 are four times higher than the average losses of the past 20 years.

The National Broadcasting Corporation also mentioned the impact of heatwaves on marine ecosystems and fisheries. Warm seawater often promotes the growth of harmful algal blooms, posing a threat to humans, birds, fish, shellfish, and marine mammals. Harmful algal blooms can also affect the harvest of razor clams, mussels, and even precious crabs.

In addition, the report points out that the agricultural sector is one of the sectors most affected by climate related disasters. Therefore, enhancing the resilience of the food system is an urgent task.

Taras believes that early warning is one of the most effective methods for reducing disaster losses, so that decisions can be made for food security and other sectors based on risk.