The rising sea levels pose an impending catastrophe that risks hitting island nations in the Pacific particularly hard. This is according to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a summit between leaders of Pacific countries:
I am in Tonga to issue a global SOS – Save our seas – regarding rising sea levels.
The warning is made with reference to a new UN report that shows that the sea level in certain parts of the Pacific has risen by around 15 centimeters over the past 30 years, significantly above the global average of 9.4 centimeters.
However, there are significant differences within the region. For example, on the Cook Islands, the level is roughly in line with the average, while other places, such as the capitals of Samoa and Fiji, have experienced a three times higher rise.
