[1/2] The morning's first rays of sunlight hit the island community of Serua Village, Fiji, July 15, 2022.
As the community runs out of ways to adapt to the rising Pacific Ocean, the 80 villagers face the painful decision whether to move.
REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies World Meteorological Organization FollowGENEVA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Sea levels in the South-West Pacific are rising faster than the global average, threatening low-lying islands while heat damages marine ecosystems, the U.N. meteorological agency said on Friday.
In its State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said water levels were rising about 4 mm per year in some areas, slightly above the global mean rate.
"This will have a big impact on the South-West Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching," Taalas said in a statement.
Persons:
Loren Elliott, Petteri Taalas, El, Taalas, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Cawthorne
Organizations:
REUTERS, World, GENEVA, South -, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, -, Thomson
Locations:
Serua Village, Fiji, South, South - West, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, - West Pacific, Philippines