UN warns of rising sea levels and speaks of a

UN warns of rising sea levels and speaks of a threat of “biblical proportions”

Between 1900 and 2018 there was an increase of 15 to 25 cm and the estimate points to an increase of 43 cm by 2100

Michael M. Santiago/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFPWarrior at the UN
Guterres calls for “filling in the gaps” in international law, particularly on the refugee issue.

According to experts from the entity’s climate change panel, there was an increase of between 15 and 25 cm between 1900 and 2018. It was preindustrial. By the end of the century, the rise could reach 84 cm if the planet experiences 3 or 4°C of warming. In addition to the risk of some areas disappearing, sea level rise has led to an increase in storms and flooding in coastal areas. Given this scenario, Guterres called for the gaps “in the existing legal frameworks” to be closed at the global level. “This must include the Refugee Act,” he added. Solutions for countries that could lose their territory must be presented. Guterres believed the UN Security Council “has an essential role to play” and “to address the devastating security challenges posed by rising water levels.”

*With information from AFP