Impact Of Climate Change On Pacific Islands

Amna Jamal

One of the major issues that every country is facing nowadays is climate change, as it is a global problem and is affecting the world’s economy and is affecting on the future of the Pacific Islands badly. According to the report of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of 2023, the sea level is rising to 3 times higher than from the global average level of sea water since 1980 in South-West Pacific and also in Solomon Sea, near the Solomon Islands, Arafura, Banda, Timor Seas, east of the Philippines, southern coast of Indonesia, and the Tasman Sea which increases the risk of the floods and land damage and is also affecting the lives of the aquatic animals and is also affecting the economy of the region.

Pacific Islands face sea-level rise three times higher than global averages, endangering communities and economies.

The WMO report is given by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo during their talk on the Pacific Islands in Tonga. Surging Seas in a Warming World, a special document was created by them regarding the danger in the rise of the sea level and was regarded as “an SOS on sea level rise.” by UN Secretary General Mr. Guterres.

The main reason behind the rise of the sea levels more than the global average level was the release of the green house gases and their effects on the climate as a result of burning of the fossil fuels, coals, oil and gases, and also due to the events like the El Niño and La Niña because of which a large amount of heat is absorbed by the oceans and the sea level is rising up and is becoming dangerous and over flowing.

Further he gives up the comprehensive detail on this as it’s a global problem and it’s affecting the world’s economy not only the Tonga’s region as most of the people earns through the fishing and by means of the oceans and millions of the household owners lives near the oceans and coats so they are also affected due to this and the life of the aquatic animals are on the greater risk. And its all is due to the spread of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to our household activities.

The meeting was held in Tonga, which already suffered in 2022 from the devastating cyclones, strong storms, and even a major tsunami, which was due to the very large volcanic eruption. Because of this huge volcano explosion, the world has suffered due to climate change due to the effects of greenhouse gases and water vapors in the atmosphere.

So, due to climate change, the small regions have been affected badly, and there is a need for world collaboration and cooperation regarding climate change. To reduce the climate change that is affecting the world and which is a global problem and has affected humanity on a large scale, WMO supports the Weather Ready Pacific Program, which is a global benefit and is known as the Early Warnings for All.

This program is helping and advising as well as warning people about the effect of the sea level on the surroundings and as well as the harmful climate disasters like the floods, heavy storms, major volcano explosions and tsunamis, just like the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano a major volcano explosion, which also brought many challenges that is affecting the world’s population and economy badly.

Ocean acidification reduces marine biodiversity, threatening livelihoods dependent on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.

The other reason that is mentioned in the report is the rise of acidification in the oceans, in which about 25% of the Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, which is making the seawater more acidic, which is released due to human activities in the atmosphere.

The Major example is an increase in the acidity of the ocean by 12% after going through the measurements of Station ALOHA between 1998 and 2020. Because of the acidity major amount of the sea water plants that includes the chlorophyll and phytoplankton which is the major lives depending plants for the aquatic animals have been reduced all about in the region of the Pacific Islands which is also reducing the sea species and as well as affecting the earning sources for the people who earns by means of the fishing and other ocean means and is also affecting the houses and world’s economy.

There is a need for global collaboration and climate change effective policies to deal with the issues of climate change, as it’s a global problem and is affecting the world’s population and economy on a large scale. There is need for proper guidelines and measures and major public awareness to highlight the issue about the rising of the sea level up above from the global average and suggest effective measurements and warnings to build up the strong infrastructure and need for major resources and to move people away from the areas where there is a greater risk for volcanic eruption, floods and other environmental disasters that is risking the aquatic and human lives together to the safe places.

Global collaboration and early warning programs are vital to mitigate climate disasters in vulnerable regions.

There is a need for more programs like the Early Warnings for All to help mankind and the aquatic lives to live freely and to protect our climate by not polluting the greenhouse gases and by reducing human activities that are affecting the climate on a large scale.

The author is a scholar of International Relations at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. The keen interest of the author lies in public policy and global governance. Her work engages with themes of diplomacy, governance, and the evolving dynamics of global affairs.