Attended UNGA Informal Plenary Meeting on Existential Threats of Sea-level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis – November 3, 2023

NABU Representatives Attended UNGA Informal Plenary Meeting on Existential Threats of Sea-
level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis

On November 3, 2023, NABU members Dr. Dennis Anderson and Katja Schroeder attended the UN
informal plenary session on the devastating impact of sea-level rise on the livelihood of citizens
around the world due to climate change. The session was hosted by the President of the UN
General Assembly, Dennis Francis, at the United Nations headquarters in New York in preparation
of the UN COP28 meeting in Dubai to review the progress made on the United Nations Paris
Agreement (2015). Attendees included representatives from UN Member States, the UN Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) and accredited observers from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). NABU – Knowledge Transfer Beyond Boundaries – attended the information session as part
of our mission to help organizations and communities reach the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals.

Climate change has become a key global issue of this century (Haass, 2020) and rising sea levels
are among the detrimental impacts of global warming that threaten the future of our planet and
society.

Due to climate change, sea levels have risen 6-8 inches between 1993 and 2021 based on NOAA
data. Coastal communities around the world are witnessing how rising seas render their territory
uninhabitable and trigger food insecurity. One of the countries presenting during the UN session
was the Pacific nation Tuvalu. The livelihood of its 11,000 citizens living across nine islands that rise
less than five meters above sea level is severely affected by rising sea levels. NOAA predicts sea
level rise to accelerate and reach one foot by 2050.

The discussion at the UN focused on how the United Nations community can support countries
impacted by sea-level rise to protect their economy, culture, and heritage. The session supported
three UN SDGS: SDG 13 – Climate Action, SDG 14 – Life Below Water, and SDG 17 – Partnerships for
the Goals.

For more information, watch the opening remarks for this session on the UN YouTube Channel
here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xkxewvpu

References
Haass, R. (2020). The world: A brief introduction. Penguin Books.

United Nations TV (2023, November 3). General Assembly: Informal meeting of the plenary on sea-
level rise amidst the climate crisis. 78th session

[Video]. https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xkxewvpu
United Nations Paris Agreement, December 12, 2015 [U.N. Doc.
FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev/1], https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf