June 5, 2024
PHNOM PENH – A newly published report by UNESCO, supported by Iceland and compiled by over 100 scientists from nearly 30 countries, reveals alarming trends in oceanic health.
The “State of the Ocean Report 2024”, released on June 3, outlines significant challenges including accelerated ocean warming, rising sea levels, pollution, acidification, de-oxygenation, blue carbon and biodiversity loss.
The report reveals that the ocean is warming at double the rate it was 20 years ago. This steady increase has resulted in 2023 being one of the hottest years since the 1950s. While the Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, ocean temperatures have already risen by an average of 1.45°C.
Consequently, global sea levels have risen by 9cm over the past 30 years, with the rate of increase doubling in this period. The ocean absorbs 90 per cent of the excess heat from the atmosphere, leading to thermal expansion, accounting for 40 per cent of global sea level rise.
The report also highlights the dire situation for coastal species struggling with declining oxygen levels. Since the 1960s, the ocean has lost 2 per cent of its oxygen, resulting in over 500 “dead zones” where marine life is nearly absent. Coastal waters are experiencing dramatic acidity fluctuations as well, leading to mass die-offs of young marine species unable to adapt.
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, emphasised the gravity of the findings.
“This UNESCO report shows that climate disruption is having an increasingly strong impact on the state of the ocean. Temperature, acidification, sea level: all the alarm bells are ringing,” she stated.
“In addition to implementing the Paris Climate Agreement, we call on our member states to invest in the restoration of marine forests and to better regulate marine protected areas which are important reservoirs of biodiversity,” she added.
According to the organisation, marine forests such as mangroves, seagrass plains and tidal marshes play a crucial role in absorbing carbon and supporting biodiversity. However, nearly 60 per cent of countries have not included marine forest conservation in their national climate plans.
UNESCO’s ongoing efforts, including leading the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development from 2021 to 2030, aim to improve knowledge and protection of the ocean. It has launched over 500 projects globally, mobilising more than a billion dollars to support scientific cooperation, high-definition seabed mapping and innovative ecosystem protection solutions, as per the organisation.