LIVE: World leaders tackle sea level rise, a stark marker of climate change
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Sea level rise is among the most visible consequences of global warming, but for some countries, it is an imminent existential threat. World leaders meet Thursday to adopt a new declaration and debate the best ways to strengthen international cooperation and support vulnerable low-lying nations most at risk.
What you need to know:
- World leaders are expected to adopt the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise, which Member States finalised last month
- The global mean sea level is on the rise around the world and accelerating, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- 770 million people live in coastal areas affected by sea level rise
- Just a half-metre rise in sea levels by the end of the century could force between 150 million and 300 million people from their homes
- Some small island States are already planning to be swallowed by the sea, with Tuvalu transitioning to become the world’s first “digital nation”
- Nations contributing least to such climate change consequences as sea level rise are facing the worst impact
Watch live on UN Web TV:
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