Regional Effects of Climate Change

Climate Change Impacts in Oceania

The following climate change effects are of particular concern to the people of Australia, New Zealand, and the islands of the South Pacific. 

Sea Level Rise:  Many of the Small Island States and island territories in the Western and Southern Pacific are no more than a few meters above sea level.  Therefore, even a small rise in sea level could claim a large percentage of land in nations like Kiribati and the Marshall Islands. 

ENSO:  Some computer models suggest that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon will become more frequent and more intense under global warming.  In the Western Pacific, this scenario would result in harsher droughts, particularly in Australia, during the El Niño phase, and more violent floods during the La Niña phase. 

Water Resources:  Water is scarce in interior Australia and the more numerous or more intense droughts would only exacerbate the existing shortage.  Sea level rise would contaminate the fresh water supplies for some small islands. 

Tourism:  Many Small Island States and territories in the South Pacific have tourism-dependent economies.  The loss of prime beach space to erosion and sea level rise would cripple the region's island economies. 

Evacuation and resettlement:  Should the amount of sea level rise prove to be extreme, some low-lying islands may literally disappear from the map. 

 

Climate change effects in other regions:
North America
Latin America
Europe
Middle East
Sub Saharan Africa
Asia
Polar Regions