Sea level rise and Global Security Challenges

Sea level rise and Global Security Challenges

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography – Climate

Context: The rise in sea levels and its implications for international peace and security was debated for the first time at the United Nations Security Council February 14, 2023. However, India, along with Russia and Brazil, pointed out the Council was not the place to address climate change.

More on the News:

• Sea-level rise (SLR) has doubled since 1993, according to State of the Global Climate in 2022 report by the UN agency World Meteorological Organization. It is a direct negative effect of climate change and creates global problems and, therefore, requires global solutions.
• SLR unleashes both sudden and gradual threats to the existence, identity and security of people and nations.
• Submerged coastlines will threaten critical infrastructure, precipitate resource disputes and further marginalise the most vulnerable.
• Over 70 leaders at the meeting argued that climate change should be addressed as part of the Council’s efforts to prevent conflict, sustain peace and build resilience in conflict-affected or otherwise fragile states.
• India, Russia and Brazil, however, stated that the Council is not an appropriate forum for such a discussion. The UNSC is an unrepresentative body that may not be the right platform to discuss climate change as it could further polarise the debate by promoting interventionist measures that disregard equity concerns.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process is the most equitable architecture to address the issue.
• A more nuanced approach towards security implications of climate change in light of growing climate vulnerabilities is required for long-term peace and security.

Rising Sea level in India and threat to coastal areas

• States such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been witnessing rapid coastal erosion and face greater risk.
• The Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) reached a new record high in 2021, increasing at an average 4.5 mm per year over the period 2013 -2021.
• This is more than double the rate at which sea levels rose between 1993 and 2002.
• GMSL integrates changes occurring in many components of the climate system, these include ocean warming via thermal expansion of seawater, melting of land ice and exchange of water with water bodies on land.

Rise not uniform

• Although the sea level has risen almost everywhere since 1993, it has not risen equally everywhere.
• Several regions continue to be affected by a rate of sea-level rise substantially faster than the global mean which shows the difference between local and global sea levels.
• This is particularly the case in the western Tropical Pacific, the Southwest Pacific, the North Pacific, the South-west Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic.

Affect on Indian coasts

• National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai under Ministry of Earth science is monitoring shoreline erosion since 1990 using remote sensing data and GIS mapping techniques.
• The approximately 6,907.18 km long Indian coastline of the mainland has been inspected from 1990 to 2018, and it has been noted that about 34 percent of the coastline is facing erosion in varying degrees.
• West Bengal has reported the highest 60.5 percent erosion followed by Puducherry (56.2 percent).
• The 15th Finance Commission has suggested that the National Disaster Management Authority and or Ministry of Home Affairs develop suitable norms as mitigation measures to prevent erosion, and that the Union and States develop a policy to deal with the extensive displacement of people due to coastal and river erosion.

About UNSC:

• The Security Council was established by the UN Charter in 1945. It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
• The other 5 organs of the United Nations are—the General Assembly, the Trusteeship Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
• Its primary responsibility is to work to maintain international peace and security.
• The council has 15 members: the five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year term
• The five permanent members are the United States, the Russian Federation, France, China and the United Kingdom.
• Each member of the Security Council has one vote. Decisions of the Security Council on matters are made by an affirmative vote of nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members.
• A “No” vote from one of the five permanent members blocks the passage of the resolution.
• Any member of the United Nations which is not a member of the Security Council may participate, without vote, in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council whenever the latter considers that the interests of that member are specially affected.
• The council’s presidency is a capacity that rotates every month among its 15 members.
• The council is headquartered at NewYork.