Rising sea levels are causing a “rising crisis” that threatens the future of nearly a billion people living in low-lying coastal areas, UN chief warned, as they become more vulnerable to heavy rains, coastal erosion and flooding.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, the global sea level has increased faster than in any previous century for at least the last 3,000 years.
NASA says that while global temperatures have risen by about one degree Celsius (1.8F), sea levels have risen 160 to 210 millimeters (six and eight inches) and about half the amount that has occurred since 1993.
“Rising seas mean rising misery,” said Antonio Guterres, speaking at a meeting that put sea-level rise at the top of the international agenda at the UN General Assembly earlier this week.
Guterres warned of “muddened cities, contaminated water, damaged crops, damaged infrastructure, destroyed biodiversity and destroyed economies – areas such as fishing, jobs agriculture and tourism exploded.”
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the average sea level worldwide reached its highest level last year. The UN 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 rising water levels is human-caused climate change. The melting of land ice and the expansion of water bodies as it warms are the main causes of water rising around the world,” Ryan Hobert, deputy director for climate and environment at the UN Foundation, told Al Jazeera .
“The ocean is really one of our biggest partners in the fight against climate change. It absorbs a lot of heat that is released into the atmosphere. But the problem is that as water warming, it’s expanding, which scientists say is responsible for nearly half of the sea level rise we’re seeing.”
‘The river overflows’
Last month, Guterres said that “the oceans are overflowing” and that it is “an entirely human problem.”
The UN says that one out of every ten people in the world live near the ocean. It also indicated that people living near the coast in countries including Bangladesh, China, India, the Netherlands and Pakistan “will be at risk and may experience severe flooding”.
Also at risk are cities like Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Lagos, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai.
Islands in the Pacific face growing threats to their economic power and even their existence. Small, low-lying islands face the most serious threats. Rising sea levels and other climate impacts are forcing people in countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands to relocate.
‘Stop greenhouse gases’
According to a study cited by the IPCC, the Maldives, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati could become uninhabitable in 2100, creating 600,000 climate refugees without a country.
Hobert added, “The first and most important way to stop sea level rise is to prevent global greenhouse gas emissions.”
“For Small Island Developing States – especially low-lying islands in the Pacific such as the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu – no issue is more important or consequential. Even if sea level rises fear of destroying their habitat and culture, but their existence on the map.
“We need to invest in climate change and resilience.”
Flooding has increased the salinity of the soil, reducing crops and destroying trees. Do not use utilities, such as roads and power lines.
The UN has also warned that the effects of saltwater flooding can result from the destruction of coastal habitats, fisheries, agricultural land and infrastructure, and may affect the ability of coastal communities to sustain what they live by.
In addition, the world organization says that “floods can pollute fresh water, promote water-borne diseases and cause stress and mental health problems”.
Threatened countries whose main source of income is tourism can also suffer from damage to beaches, resorts and coral reefs.
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