United Nations, Sept 2026 : Kolkata and Mumbai could face severe consequences from rising sea levels, potentially forcing millions of people from their homes, according to a report by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that highlights the growing global threat posed by climate change.
The report, released on Monday, raises serious concerns over the accelerating impact of sea-level rise caused by global warming. Melting glaciers and ice sheets, combined with the warming and expansion of ocean waters, are increasing risks to coastal communities, infrastructure, property and cultural heritage.
According to the report, the annual increase in global sea levels reached a record high in 2024, rising by nearly six millimetres. The findings were presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's office at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, a Pacific island nation particularly vulnerable to rising ocean levels.
The report warned that South Asia's densely populated low-lying coastal regions face some of the most serious consequences. It specifically identified Kolkata and Mumbai in India, along with Dhaka in Bangladesh, as cities where displacement could become a defining impact of permanent inundation.
“In the low-lying deltas of South Asia, in cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai in India, and Dhaka, the defining impact is human displacement, with more than 14 million people at immediate risk of losing their homes to permanent inundation,” the report said.
The UN report, however, did not specify a particular timeline for when such widespread displacement could occur.
Speaking at a news conference in New York, UN Assistant Secretary-General Navid Hanif said rising sea levels represented a major challenge because communities were gradually losing their coastlines. He stressed that the consequences would extend far beyond the areas directly bordering the sea.
“Please treat sea level rise as a systemic threat,” Hanif said, pointing to its potential consequences for health, food security and human rights. He also warned that the loss of ancestral land could ultimately affect cultural identity and heritage.
Hanif called for governments to adopt a comprehensive approach and incorporate sea-level rise into long-term national and urban planning.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the impact of climate change on the Himalayan region. Last week, a tsunami-like surge of water and mud, reportedly triggered by a glacier-related event in the Himalayas, killed hundreds of people along the Nepal-Tibet border and caused extensive destruction in several areas.
Asked about the wider impact of melting Himalayan glaciers on South Asia, Hanif described the region as the world’s “Third Pole” because of its enormous concentration of glaciers, alongside the North and South Poles.
He warned that climate scenarios over the next 15 to 20 years could bring severe flooding to South Asia as Himalayan glaciers continue to melt. Such flooding could eventually be followed by drought conditions, potentially damaging agricultural production and threatening food security.
The risks are not limited to South Asia. Globally, the report estimates that around 770 million people, nearly one in every 10 people worldwide, live in coastal areas less than five metres above the high-tide line and are already exposed to significant risks.
At least $1.8 trillion worth of infrastructure is estimated to be vulnerable to sea-level-rise-related threats worldwide. The UN said rising waters are already damaging urban infrastructure, water systems, transportation networks, energy grids, buildings and groundwater resources.
The report warned that these impacts could have far-reaching consequences for the enjoyment of basic human rights and long-term development.
While small island nations are expected to experience some of the most severe effects, the UN stressed that sea-level rise is a global threat that does not respect national borders or geography.
In wealthier coastal cities such as Miami and New York in the United States and Guangzhou in China, the primary concern is the enormous financial exposure of infrastructure and property. According to the report, assets worth between $2 trillion and $3.5 trillion could be at risk in these cities.
The UN's warning underscores the need for governments to strengthen climate adaptation measures, protect vulnerable communities and integrate sea-level projections into infrastructure and development planning.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
