Accelerated action needed on addressing existential Sea Level Rise threats
Solomon Islands has made its voice heard on the existing threats posed by Sea Level Rise at the global podium.
At the United Nations General Assembly high level plenary meeting on addressing the ‘Existential Threats Posed By Sea Level Rise’, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology Hon. Trevor Manemahaga pleas for accelerated collective comprehensive solutions and actionable commitments to address sea level rise.
Minister Manemahaga underscored, data proves that the sea level rise of the last three decades for the South West Pacific exceeds the global mean sea level rise adding, Solomon Islands sea level projections show a rise of between 0.09 to 0.18 metres by 2030 and an increase of 0.65 to 1.22 by 2100 under a highest emissions scenario.
The Minister states, the impacts of sea level rise are multidimensional and have serious implications on island states, economy, livelihoods, and the continued existence of Solomon Islands- people, culture and heritage.
“We have already lost inhabited islands – the threats of sea level rise are not of the future alone, we are facing them now.”
Minister Manemahaga further states, Sea level rise is already displacing communities disrupts social cohesion and structures that have persisted for generations- not to mention the daunting implications on our national and collective regional security.
The issue of Sea level Rise must therefore remain on the Agenda for the General Assembly, to give the global collective political impetus for greater attention and urgent action to countries most impacted by Sea level Rise, the Minister emphasised.
Minister Manemahaga calls out global emitters to take the leadership in drastically cutting down emissions to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees.
“Global emitters must also take measures to assist the most vulnerable and impacted countries.”
The Minister accented, the cost of adaptation far exceeds national budgets, making international finance critical.
On political leadership, the Environment Minister expressed that Solomon Islands upholds the Pacific Leaders “Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise” that proclaims that our maritime zones, as established and notified to the UN Secretary-General in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the rights and entitlements that flow from them, shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise.
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-GCU Press Release