The UN Secretary General has issued a global warning about climate change
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has issued an international warning about climate change. He urged everyone to come forward to save the sea. He spoke at a conference with Pacific Island leaders in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on September 5.
The UN Secretary General said the damage caused by greenhouse gases and sea level rise is unimaginable. We all have to be careful about this. At one point of the speech, he said, “If the climate deteriorates, there is no lifeboat to take us to a safe place.”
More than 1,000 international delegates have been invited to the Pacific Islands Leaders’ Meeting. The impact of climate change on lowland people was high on the agenda.
“The whole thing is very unusual,” Guterres said. An entirely human-made crisis is sea level rise. The consequences will soon reach unimaginable levels.
The reason for this is very simple. The large amount of greenhouse gases produced by the use of fossil fuels is causing severe global warming. And the height of seawater is also increasing.
He also said, ‘The height of the Pacific Ocean could increase by up to 15 centimeters by the middle of this century unless greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically reduced.’
As a result, there is a risk of flooding at least 30 days a year in many parts of the coast. But if the sea is saved, we will survive. So, we should respond to the warning and take action before the time runs out.
Meanwhile, two UN agencies released reports on sea level rise on Wednesday. A report by the World Climate Organization and the Climate Action Team states that global sea levels rose by 10 cm from 1990 to 2020.
In Nuku’alofa, this rise measures 21 cm. Guterres noted that sea level rise in the South Pacific is increasing faster than the global average, with some areas experiencing nearly double the rate.
Guterres has consistently urged G20 members to establish funds to support countries most vulnerable to climate change. He said, “With the rise of the sea, our funds also need to increase.”
The Jari Sangh General Assembly is going to organize a special meeting on the threat of sea level rise on September 25.
