Wednesday February 15, 2023 | 11:00 a.m.
UN Secretary General António Guterres warned Tuesday that sea levels will rise significantly even if global warming is “miraculously” limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), saying the Earth it is probably heading towards a warming that supposes “a death sentence” for the countries vulnerable to that increase.
Every fraction of a degree counts, as sea level rise could double if temperatures rise 2°C (3.6°F), and increase exponentially with further increases in temperature, Guterres said. Speaking at the opening of a UN Security Council meeting on sea level rise involving 75 countries, the secretary-general said the Security Council has a key role in rallying support for the measures against climate change.
In either scenario, countries like Bangladesh, China, India, and the Netherlands are at risk, and there will be serious repercussions in major cities on every continent, including Cairo, Lagos, Maputo, Bangkok, Dhaka, Jakarta, Mumbai, Shanghai, Copenhagen. , London, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires and Santiago, he added. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published figures on Tuesday, which Guterres cited, according to which the global average sea level will rise between 2 and 3 meters (between 6.5 and 9.8 feet) in the next 2,000 years. if heating is limited to 1.5 °C.
With a 2°C rise, seas could rise as much as 6 meters (19.7 feet), and with a 5°C rise, they could rise as much as 22 meters (72 feet), according to the WMO. “Our world is rapidly exceeding the 1.5 degree warming limit that a livable future requires and, with current policies, is heading towards 2.8 degrees, a death sentence for vulnerable countries,” Guterres declared. .
Guterres affirmed that the danger is especially serious for the almost 900 million people who live in low-lying coastal areas, that is, one in 10 inhabitants of the planet. The consequences will be unthinkable, Guterres said. Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear, the world would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale, and competition for fresh water, land, and other resources would become increasingly fierce.
Guterres has tried to draw the world’s attention to the danger posed by climate change, to encourage action. In October, he warned that the world is in “a life-and-death struggle” for survival as “climate chaos gallops on”, accusing the world’s 20 richest countries of not doing enough to prevent overheating. of the planet.
In November, he asserted that the planet is headed for irreversible “climate chaos” and urged rulers around the globe to put the world back on track to cut emissions, deliver on climate finance pledges and help developing countries. to accelerate its transition to renewable energy. The landmark Paris agreement adopted in 2015 to tackle climate change calls for global temperatures to rise by a maximum of 2°C by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times, and to get as close as possible to 1.5°C .
Guterres said the world must address the climate crisis as the root cause of sea level rise, and that the Security Council has a key role in creating the necessary political will.
