The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres has issued a stark warning from Tonga, calling for a major increase in climate finance to support vulnerable countries facing the devastating impacts of rising sea levels.
His call comes on the heels of new UN reports that underscore the urgent need for financial intervention to prevent catastrophic consequences for low-lying nations like those in the Pacific.
“We need a surge in funds to deal with surging seas,” the Secretary-General said, highlighting that the Pacific Islands are on the front lines of the climate crisis.
The call to action was supported by two critical reports released by the United Nations: The World Meteorological Organisation’s “State of the Climate in the South West Pacific” and the UN Climate Action Team’s “Surging Seas in a Warming World.”
These reports paint a grim picture of accelerating sea level rise and its profound impact on the Pacific region.
According to the findings, relative sea levels in the Southwestern Pacific have risen by more than double the global average in some locations over the past 30 years.
The reports also highlight that ocean temperatures in the Pacific are increasing at rates up to three times faster than the global average, exacerbating the threat to these island nations.
The Secretary-General stressed the importance of climate finance in addressing these challenges.
He called on developed countries, particularly the G20, to fulfill their commitments, including the pledge to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025.
This funding is critical for supporting infrastructure improvements, coastal defenses, and community resilience measures in the most affected regions.
“Developed countries must deliver on their finance commitments,” the Secretary-General urged.
He pointed out that without new adaptation and protection measures, the economic damage from coastal flooding could reach trillions of dollars, further endangering the livelihoods of millions of people.
The reports also highlight the looming danger of extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to rising sea levels.
Coastal flooding, storm surges, and marine heatwaves are already devastating communities across the Pacific, disrupting fisheries, contaminating freshwater supplies, and damaging critical infrastructure.
In addition to adaptation finance, the Secretary-General underscored the need for contributions to the newly established Loss and Damage Fund, which aims to provide financial support to countries already suffering from the impacts of climate change.
“Significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund are a step towards climate justice,” he said, recognising the disproportionate burden placed on the world’s most vulnerable nations.
The Secretary-General’s call to action is a reminder of the critical decisions that global leaders must make in the coming years.
With the world on track for a three-degree temperature rise, the consequences of inaction could be devastating.
“The world must act and answer the ‘SOS – Save Our Seas’ before it is too late,” he urged.
“If we save the Pacific, we also save ourselves, said Guterres.
