Pacific atolls face $13.5 billion cost of rising sea levels, says World Bank
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Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands are among the smallest, most remote and dispersed countries in the world.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SYDNEY – Adapting to a sea level rise of up to 50cm will cost the three most vulnerable Pacific atoll nations nearly US$10 billion (S$13.5 billion), equivalent to about 20 years of their gross domestic product (GDP), the World Bank said in a report on Nov 14.
Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are among the smallest, most remote and dispersed countries in the world, spread across 6.4 million sq km of Pacific Ocean, where residents live at an elevation of no more than 2m to 3m, the report said.
A third of the population of Kiribati and Tuvalu are at risk of falling into extreme poverty from climate shocks such as coastal flooding, while healthcare is under pressure from increased heat-related illness, it said.
A sea level rise of 50cm, which would submerge significant portions of these nations, could occur as soon as 2050 in a worst-case scenario, or more likely by 2070, and it was imperative for governments to act on adaptation plans now, it said.
Money is a central focus
The Pacific atolls face a significant climate funding gap, the World Bank report said.
The cost of physical adaptation, by building seawalls in urban centres, house raising and inland relocation, for a sea level rise of up to 0.5m, was estimated at US$3.7 billion for Kiribati, US$1 billion for Tuvalu and US$5 billion for the Marshall Islands.
“This represents about 20 years of current GDP dedicated fully to physical adaptation measures,” the report said.
The estimate excludes the cost of other adaptation measures needed in health, education, power and water systems.
Importing sand and rock to build sea walls and raise and reclaim shorelines will also be costly and challenging, it added. REUTERS
