Scientist Awnesh Singh says having Pacific voices at international forums helps ensure that global conversations and decisions are informed by the realities on the ground.
Photo: AFP / Theo Rouby
Three Pacific scientists are speaking on sea level rise in the region as part of an International Science Council side event at the UN this week.
Awnesh Singh is from the Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of the South Pacific; Christina Newport from the University of Auckland, and Arunima Sircar from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Singh said having Pacific voices in these forums helps ensure that global conversations and decisions are informed by the realities on the ground.
“Because many Pacific islands are low-lying and closely connected to the ocean, even relatively small changes in sea level and extreme events can have very significant consequences,” he said.
“That lived experience brings an important and often underrepresented perspective to global discussions.”
He said sea level rise in the Pacific is not just a coastal issue.
“It is fundamentally about water security and livelihoods. We are seeing increasing evidence that rising sea levels, especially when combined with extreme events, are already affecting freshwater systems, particularly groundwater resources that many communities rely on for drinking water.
“That has knock-on effects for food systems, health, and broader economic stability.”
He said while the science is relatively strong at a regional level, there is a gap when it comes to making it useful at a local scale.
Newport said communities and governments with their partners are responding at local and country levels to address impacts – but more is needed.
“More is needed because the cultural disruptions caused by climate change can undermine wellbeing, community cohesion, trust in leadership and governance arrangements and transfer of indigenous knowledge and legacy to future generations.”
She said it’s not just about the economic cost.
“Responses must match what communities value. The tangible and intangible dimensions of loss and damage are profound as the intergenerational physical, social and spiritual attachment to place are threatened.”
The International Science Council (ISC) said ‘At the Water’s Edge: Sea Level Rise, Water Security and Livelihoods in the Pacific’ is an ISC side-event on sea-level rise, water security and livelihoods in Pacific small island developing states, exploring the role of science, technology and innovation in evidence-informed, community-led adaptation.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday in New York – Thursday morning New Zealand time.
