GENEVA (June 5, 2025) — The South-West Pacific experienced its hottest year on record in 2024, with warming oceans, rising sea levels, and more intense storms threatening the very survival of low-lying island nations, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 report, released Wednesday at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, warns that sea surface temperatures hit record highs, marine heatwaves blanketed nearly 40 million square kilometers — over 10% of the global ocean surface — and sea-level rise continued to outpace global averages, eroding coastlines and displacing communities.
Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said the report underscored the urgency of climate ambition from the world’s biggest polluters.
“As seas rise around us, the ambition of major emitters still falls short. Our shorelines are disappearing faster than their commitments are strengthening. We need deep emissions cuts — starting now, not decades from now,” Whipps said.
“This is why it’s of paramount importance for countries to ensure their new plans (NDCs) are more than recycled targets. They must be real, credible, and aligned with science. For some developed countries, reaching net zero by 2040 is entirely possible — it’s a question of political will. A climate plan that can’t keep a nation above water simply isn’t good enough.”
Fiji’s Serua Island: A Dire Example
Among the most visible examples of this crisis is Serua Island in Fiji, where rising seas and extreme flooding have repeatedly inundated the island, destroying homes, wiping out food crops, and eroding cultural heritage. On at least two occasions in recent years, floodwaters covered the island so thoroughly that it was possible to cross by boat without encountering land.
Despite government offers to assist with relocation, many Serua residents remain, bound by ancestral ties to their land — known as vanua — which embody their cultural identity.
This situation reflects the broader challenge facing Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where more than half the population lives within 500 meters of the coast. For these communities, sea-level rise isn’t theoretical — it’s displacing people now.
“It’s not just about infrastructure or economics,” said a WMO spokesperson. “It’s about identity, culture, and the right to remain on one’s homeland.”
2024: A Year of Record Extremes
According to the report, average temperatures in the South-West Pacific in 2024 were 0.48°C above the 1991–2020 average, driven in part by the 2023–2024 El Niño event. Australia, the Philippines, and other countries recorded their hottest years to date.
Ocean heat content matched previous highs, and warming hotspots were identified in areas surrounding the Pacific island nations — including the Tasman and Solomon Seas — further stressing marine biodiversity and local economies dependent on fisheries.
At the same time, ocean acidification and reduced oxygen levels are damaging coral reefs and altering ecosystems in ways that threaten food security and coastal protection.
Storms, Glaciers, and Displacement
The Philippines experienced an unprecedented 12 tropical cyclones in just three months at the end of 2024, impacting more than 13 million people and displacing 1.4 million. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s last tropical glacier is nearing total loss — expected by 2026 — highlighting the cryosphere’s vulnerability in equatorial latitudes.
Despite the staggering impacts, early warning systems and anticipatory actions, such as cash aid and preemptive evacuations, helped minimize loss of life. These efforts, part of the WMO’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative, demonstrate the power of preparedness, even in the face of growing climate risks.
A Call for Global Accountability
The WMO’s findings make clear that Pacific nations are on the frontline of climate change, despite contributing the least to the crisis. For President Whipps and the AOSIS coalition, the message is urgent: without dramatic, science-aligned action from major emitters, entire nations may be lost.
The WMO report was compiled using data from national meteorological services and international partners. It is expected to inform climate negotiations at the upcoming 2025 UN Ocean Conference and help guide regional adaptation strategies.