Context
UNESCO’s ‘State of Ocean Report, 2024’ provides crucial insights into the current state of global oceans, emphasising the challenges posed by climate change and human activities.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
UNESCO State of Ocean Report Overview
Introduction:
- Initiation: The UNESCO ‘State of the Ocean Report’ was initiated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference.
- Purpose: Provides an accessible overview of the current state of the oceans.
Support and Objectives:
- UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030): The report supports this initiative and encourages actions for a sustainable ocean future.
- Inaugural Edition (2022): Featured insights from over 100 marine science experts on topics like ocean acidification, pollution, and tsunami warning.
- Annual Editions: Released on World Oceans Day (June 8), aligning with the seven outcomes of the UN Ocean Decade.
Key Findings:
- Ocean Warming: The upper 2,000 meters of the oceans have significantly warmed, with the rate increasing from 0.32 ± 0.03 watt per square meter (W/m²) between 1960 and 2023 to 0.66 ± 0.10 W/m² in the past two decades.
- Energy Absorption: Oceans are absorbing about 90% of the Earth’s excess energy, leading to increased deoxygenation, which threatens marine ecosystems and human economies.
- Ocean Acidification: Globally on the rise, particularly in the open ocean, with a noted pH decline since the late 1980s. More comprehensive data from coastal areas is necessary.
- Rising Sea Levels: Sea levels have consistently risen since 1993, highlighting the need for improved monitoring systems at all scales.
Emerging Interests:
- Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) Technologies: There is growing interest in mCDR technologies, although their ecological impacts and effectiveness are still uncertain.
-Source: Down To Earth
