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[INTERNATIONAL] · UN · 16 sources

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United Nations adopts declaration on rising sea levels

The United Nations General Assembly has formally adopted a landmark declaration addressing the existential threat of accelerating sea-level rise. The decision, reached by consensus, aims to protect the sovereignty and maritime rights of vulnerable island and coastal nations, even if they face the loss of physical territory.

The declaration emphasizes that legally established maritime boundaries and statehood can remain stable despite physical coastal changes. It calls for enhanced international cooperation, increased public and private funding for climate adaptation, improved scientific monitoring, and the implementation of early-warning systems to protect communities, infrastructure, and freshwater supplies.

Global sea levels rose by nearly six millimeters in 2024, marking the highest annual increase ever recorded. Experts warn that the rate of rise is accelerating due to ocean warming and melting glaciers. The crisis poses severe risks to approximately 900 million people living in low-lying coastal areas, including threats to food security, water scarcity through saltwater intrusion, and mass human displacement.

Entities

Antonio Guterres · Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change · Palau · Sibi George · Surangel Whipps Jr. · Tuvalu · United Nations · United Nations General Assembly

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