UN Secretary-General calls for urgent action to address rising sea levels
New York, 24 Sep (KUNA) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteris called on Thursday for the international community to take urgent action to escalate global efforts to address rising sea levels and prepare populations to adapt to their impacts.
He made the remarks in a speech delivered at a high-level meeting on the existential threat of rising sea levels, attended by several world leaders, experts, and other stakeholders. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
Guteris emphasized that while sea-level rise is measured in millimeters, "its cost is measured in millions of shattered lives, communities uprooted from their foundations, and stolen futures." He attributed the crisis to greenhouse gases, noting that the oceans absorb approximately 90 percent of this excess heat.
He revealed that 2024 recorded the highest annual increase in global sea levels ever documented, warning that sea levels could rise by one meter by the end of the century unless emissions are drastically reduced.
He added that in the absence of significant adaptation and mitigation measures, the risks facing coastal cities and communities could increase tenfold by 2100.
Guteris stated, "When land disappears and freshwater turns into saltwater, competition and conflict arise, and we face the risk of mass displacement of entire populations." He warned that those who have contributed the least to causing the crisis are bearing the heaviest burden.
He called for action on three fronts. The first is addressing the root causes, stressing the need to reduce global emissions by 60 percent by 2035, triple renewable energy capacity, sharply cut methane emissions, and "transition away from fossil fuels."
He explained that the second front involves protecting populations by integrating resilience to sea-level rise into national plans, ensuring that all people worldwide are covered by early warning systems, and providing financing commensurate with the scale of the crisis to support adaptation and loss and damage response.
He added that the third front concerns closing legal gaps, emphasizing the need for legal clarity to protect affected states and communities.
Concluding his address, the Secretary-General affirmed, "We cannot allow states and cultures to disappear beneath the waves, nor can we let the aspirations of billions be lost and dissolved in the water." He added, "The call for help has been issued, and the world must respond."
High-level representatives of participating states adopted the "UN Declaration on Rising Sea Levels," which is built on four pillars: (knowledge, data, and science); (adaptation, financing, and resilience); (livelihoods, socioeconomic challenges, culture, and heritage); and (the legal dimensions of rising sea levels).
The Declaration affirmed that the loss or alteration of a state's physical territory does not entail the loss of its recognized statehood or sovereignty, including its maritime zones, or its membership in the United Nations.
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