Island states seek climate protection from the Law of the Sea
In a hearing before an international court in Hamburg, Germany, on Monday, the prime ministers of two small island nations that remain to be impacted by rising sea levels will appear. They are requesting an advisory opinion on the responsibility of nations to tackle climate change.
At the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which will consider whether carbon emissions absorbed by the ocean should be considered marine pollution and what obligations nations have to protect the marine environment, Prime Ministers Kausea Natano of Tuvalu and Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda will present evidence.
Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, was flooded during a storm, forcing more than 200 residents to leave their houses.
The prime ministers will try to make the case that nations have a responsibility to safeguard the marine environment under the UN convention on the law of the sea, including greenhouse gas emissions, on behalf of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS).
Number of billion-dollar weather disasters in the US blows through annual records with four months left in the year
After severe storms, the disastrous Maui wildfire and Hurricane Idalia tipped the scales last month, it has been an all-time high for the most expensive weather and climate disasters in the United States.
According to recent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the US has already experienced 23 disasters this year that have each cost at least $1 billion, breaking the previous yearly record of 22 occurrences set in 2020. There are still four months remaining in the year.
According to NOAA data, this year's billion-dollar disasters have resulted in 253 direct and indirect fatalities as well as $57.6 billion in damage. Hurricane Idalia hasn't yet been included in that price.
Technical Terms used in this article
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: It establishes guidelines for all uses of the oceans' resources and establishes a comprehensive regime of law and order throughout the world's oceans and seas.
Hurricane Idalia: Hurricane Idalia was a powerful Category 4 hurricane that caused significant damage across parts of the southeastern United States, especially in Northern Florida, during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
Credits:
Information: Number of billion-dollar weather disasters in US blows through annual record with four months left in the year | CNN
Images: Hurricane Idalia
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