A World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report reveals that sea level rises in the Pacific Ocean are outpacing the global average, posing a significant threat to low-lying island states. The report shows that the average annual increase in sea levels in the Pacific is “significantly higher” than the global average of 3.4 millimeters per year.
The WMO warns that human activities have weakened the ocean’s capacity to protect and sustain us, transforming it into a growing threat through sea level rise. The report highlights the surge in coastal flooding since 1980, with dozens of instances reported in Pacific islands like the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.
In 2023, over 34 hazards like storms and floods were reported in the Pacific region, resulting in more than 200 deaths. The WMO notes that only a third of small island developing states have early warning systems in place.
The report emphasizes that the impact of rising water levels on Pacific islands is disproportionately high due to their low elevation, with further rises expected to continue for centuries to millennia due to ongoing deep ocean heat uptake and mass loss from ice sheets.
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