South-West Pacific Communities Threatened by Ocean Heat, Sea-Level Rise

By IPS Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG, Jun 5 2025 – The South-West Pacific experienced unprecedented warming in 2024, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report released today (June 5)—threatening islands in a region where half the population lives close to the coast.

The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 Report said that sea-surface temperatures were the highest on record, and ocean heat content was at near-record levels in 2024. Nearly 40 million km² (15.4 million square miles), an area almost the size of the Asian continent, was affected by marine heatwaves.

On land, extreme heat and rainfall caused deadly and devastating impacts. A record-breaking streak of tropical cyclones hit the Philippines, while the last remaining tropical glacier in Indonesia’s New Guinea headed closer to extinction, the WMO said in a statement.

“2024 was the warmest year on record in the South-West Pacific region. Ocean heat and acidification combined to inflict long-lasting damage to marine ecosystems and economies. Sea-level rise is an existential threat to entire island nations. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo.

The report was to coincide with the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 in Geneva and ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

However, the report also highlighted how strengthened early warning systems and Anticipatory Action in the Philippines enabled communities to prepare and respond to the back-to-back typhoons in 2024. This helped to protect lives and livelihoods and ensure dignified, timely support for vulnerable communities.

During a press briefing on the report, Catherine Jones, Disaster Resilience Officer from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), gave some detail of how “anticipatory action protocols” assisted a community in the Bicol Region on an island called Catanduanes. On November 13, 2024, the fifth cyclone in the region intensified into a super typhoon (category 5), and a warning was issued that it would make landfall on the 16th. The organization supported 2,800 households with multi-purpose cash to protect their livelihoods, and the early warning system also enabled these households to evacuate and secure their boats.

“When we went back to speak with various fisherfolk who received the support, they said to us, because they received the warnings before the event, they were able to get back onto the water one week after the sediment and all the ocean had settled; they were able to jump straight back into their livelihood and provide for their families.”

The WMO says that this example exemplifies the value of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, which is one of WMO’s top strategic priorities, even though the report says 50,000 Pacific Islanders face the risk of displacement due to climate change.

2024 was the warmest year on record in the South-West Pacific region, at approximately 0.48 °C above the 1991–2020 average. Credit: WMO

Key highlights of the report include:

• 2024 was the warmest year on record in the South-West Pacific region, at approximately 0.48 °C above the 1991–2020 average. This was associated with the continued influence from the 2023/2024 El Niño event.
• The southern coast of Australia, northern New Zealand, and many Pacific Islands all suffered precipitation deficits.
• Parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, the northern Philippines, northern Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and southern New Zealand saw above-average rainfall.
• Extreme rainfall and flooding caused deadly and destructive impacts across the region, with major events in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines disrupting communities, infrastructure, and economies.
• The late 2024 tropical cyclone season in the Philippines was unprecedented, with 12 storms from September to November — more than double the average. Across the entire sequence, over 13 million people were impacted in 17 of the country’s 18 regions, with more than 1.4 million displaced.
• In Indonesia, glacier ice loss continued rapidly in 2024, with the total ice area in the western part of New Guinea declining by 30-50% since 2022, according to satellite estimates. If this rate persists, total ice loss is expected in 2026 or very soon thereafter.
• Most of the ocean area of the South-West Pacific region was affected by marine heatwaves of strong, severe, or extreme intensity during 2024. During the months of January, April, May, and June 2024, nearly 40 million km² of the region’s ocean was impacted, marking a record high since records began in 1993.

Sea Level Rise in the Pacific Islands

Communities on the Pacific Islands face difficult decisions about staying in high-risk areas or relocating to secure their futures.

“Villagers are running out of adaptation options, with the building of seawalls, plantation of mangroves, and improvement of drainage systems no longer being viable,” the report says, giving an example from the Government of Fiji, which has offered support for the islanders to relocate. However, many choose to stay because of the concept of “vanua,” which translates literally to “land,” embodying the profound connection between the Indigenous communities and their ancestral lands.

Delegates address a press conference at the launch of the WMO State of the Climate in South-West Pacific 2024 Report.

During a press briefing on the report, UNFCCC’s  Juhi Bansal described the daily life of people living on Sarawak Island.

“Since 2000, rising sea levels have caused severe coastal erosion, flooding, and seawater intrusion-crops have failed. Homes have been submerged and sea walls have been repeatedly destroyed in two extreme flooding events,” she said. “Boats have been used to traverse the island. Villagers now build planks between homes and they dock boats at their doors during high tide. The villages have tried every adaptation measure available. They’ve built sea walls, tried mangrove restoration, and even crop relocation to the mainland, but these are all temporary solutions. With each king tide, Sira Island inches closer to being uninhabitable.”

Bansal said the report comes at a pivotal moment when the world prepares for the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions, known as NCD 3.0 and countries have been asked to put in place National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

“The dual task of deepening ambition while also ensuring development priorities are met is complex, but it is possible, especially with strong partnerships, shared commitment, and sustained political will. The case studies today demonstrate that we must scale up finance support for locally led mitigation and adaptation and ensure that relocation, when necessary, is done with dignity, cultural sensitivity, and the buy-in of local communities.”

IPS UN Bureau Report