GENEVA (Switzerland): Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, harming ecosystems and economies, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which highlighted how sea level rise is threatening islands in a region where more than half the population live close to the coast.
The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 Report (read here) said that sea-surface temperatures were the highest on record, and ocean heat content was at near-record levels in 2024. Nearly 40 million square kilometers was affected by marine heat waves. This is more than 10 per cent of the global ocean surface area, according to a press release from the WMO. The report was released late in 2025.
On land, extreme heat and rainfall caused deadly and devastating impacts. A record-break streak of tropical cyclones hit the Philippines, whilst the last remaining tropical glacier in Indonesia’s New Guinea headed closer to extinction.
The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific an annual global and regional report that seeks to inform decision-making for national and regional adaptation strategies and to build resilience in a changing climate.
A separate case study of Fiji’s Serua Island highlights the cultural and spiritual challenges of relocating displaced communities, given the deep ancestral ties to the land. It is estimated that each year, at least 50,000 Pacific islanders face the risk of displacement due to the adverse effects of climate change.
The report says that 2024 was the warmest year on record in the South-West Pacific region, at approximately 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average. This was associated with the continued influence from the 2023-2024 El Niño event. Many countries recorded their warmest year.
Further, the southern coast of Australia, northern New Zealand, and many Pacific Islands all suffered precipitation deficits, whilst parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, northern Philippines, northern Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and southern New Zealand saw above average rainfall in 2024, the press release said.
Extreme rainfall and flooding caused deadly and destructive impacts across the region, with major events in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines disrupting communities, infrastructure, and economies.
Snow and ice are rare in most, but not all, of the South-West Pacific. There are glaciers in the mountains of New Zealand and on the highest peaks of the western part of the island of New Guinea. In Indonesia, glacier ice loss continued rapidly in 2024, with the total ice area in the western part of New Guinea declining by 30 to 50 per cent since 2022, according to satellite estimates. If this rate persists, total ice loss is expected in 2026 or very soon thereafter.
The annual average sea surface temperature in 2024 was the highest in the time series starting in the early 1980s. In 2024, ocean heat content for the South-West Pacific tied with 2021 and 2023 as joint second highest, behind the record in 2022. Areas of strongest ocean warming over the past five decades include the Tasman Sea, the Solomon Sea, and most of the areas around the Pacific Small Island States.
Ocean warming contributes to sea-level rise and alters ocean currents. It also indirectly alters storm tracks, increases ocean stratification, and can lead to changes in marine ecosystems. Across the region, sea level exceeds the global average, threatening Pacific islands where more than half the population lives within 500 meters of the coast. Communities are facing difficult decisions about staying in high-risk areas or relocating to secure their futures. Villagers are running out of adaptation options, with building of seawalls, plantation of mangroves, and improvement of drainage systems no longer being viable. The Government of Fiji has offered support for the islanders to relocate, but many are choosing to stay.
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