United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said many Pacific Islands are in "grave danger" from rising sea levels. He told a gathering of regional leaders that the world must "answer the S.O.S before it is too late."
The Pacific Islands Forum brings together Australia, New Zealand and 16 other nations in the region. It’s being held this year in Tonga.
In his speech, Guterres urged the world to “look to the Pacific and listen to the science.”
The UN’s climate action team has warned that the climate crisis and sea level rise were “no longer distant threats,” especially for the Pacific’s small island developing states.
Sea level rise is caused by melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms. Guterres told reporters that it has, in his words, “unparalleled power to cause havoc to coastal cities and ravage coastal economies.”
He said the Pacific Islands are “uniquely exposed” because 90% of people live within 3 miles of the coast and about 50% of infrastructure is located within 1,600 feet of the sea.
Guterres added quote “I am in Tonga to issue a global S.O.S – Save Our Seas – on rising sea levels.”
He called for a “massive” increase in finance and support for vulnerable countries, arguing, “We need a surge in funds to deal with surging seas.”
