Global Scans · Life Below Water · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

• [New] Urban living will inexorably increase as a result of diminishing living space resulting inter alia from global warming-caused rising sea levels, increasing extreme weather events and wildfires, and reducing habitability of affected regions, coupled with growth in the world population. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] 50 districts of 64 in Bangladesh were identified as vulnerable to hydrometeorological hazard risks: flooding and river erosion (23 districts); cyclones and storm surges (19 districts); and drought and groundwater depletion (8 districts). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] With over 400 glacial lakes in India expanding at alarming rates, the risks of catastrophic floods and human tragedies are rising. KPs 21st Century IAS Academy
• [New] Transboundary Risks Many glacial lakes lie in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet (China) but feed Indian rivers. KPs 21st Century IAS Academy
• [New] Out of 681 glacial lakes within India, 432 lakes across Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh have shown worrying expansion, raising concerns of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and their associated risks to downstream populations. KPs 21st Century IAS Academy
• [New] The potential fallout from U.S. deep-sea mining initiatives could extend beyond legal ramifications. DemState
• [New] The United States push into deep-sea mining could jeopardize the integrity of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. DemState
• [New] U.S. deep-sea mining could undermine global maritime law, risking UN Convention integrity. DemState
• [New] Sweden's Maritime Administration said it received multiple reports of signal interference with ships in the Baltic Sea in 2025 and in June officially warned sailors to use radar or landmarks for navigation. Military.com
• [New] There is a smaller chance that Pacific temperatures will stay as they have for the past six months, when neither the cooling La Nina nor its opposite number, the warming El Nino, caused unusual spikes or dips in sea surface temperatures. UN News
• [New] Latest data shared by the World Meteorological Organization indicates a 55% likelihood that sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific will cool to La Nina levels from September to November. UN News
• [New] In Alaska alone two indigenous communities were forced to relocate because of sea level rise, erosion, and melting permafrost; and another 12 communities are in danger. Arctic Circle
• [New] There is the threat that loss of Arctic sea ice is moving toward a tipping point that may lead to the emission of a tremendous amount of methane (with 20 times the warming potential of CO2) from tundra, shallow ice shelves, and the ocean floor that can cause catastrophic changes across the globe. Arctic Circle
• [New] Greenland's melt will continue to accelerate, raising sea levels worldwide so that millions or even billions will become refugees; coastal infrastructures will be damaged and destroyed; and more and more species will be driven to extinction. Arctic Circle
• [New] By 2100, average sea levels around Singapore could potentially rise by up to 1.15m. ST
• [New] Structures to help preserve Singapore's south-eastern coastline - one of its lowest-lying areas - will be built from the 2030s to protect people and infrastructure there from the rising seas. ST
• [New] Singapore will implement coastal protection measures like storm surge barriers and raised platforms at Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi by the 2030s to combat rising sea levels. ST
• [New] With a sea level rise of 1m by 2100, about 1,120 km2 could be inundated and will cost an estimated US$ 1.14 billion to protect all vulnerable coastlines with populations greater than 10 persons / km2. SpringerLink
• [New] In Ghana, the cost of flood damage and investment in sea defence is predicted to be $1.3 billion annually, assuming a conservative temperature rise of less than 2 °C. SpringerLink
• [New] Singapore faces rising sea levels, projected to rise up to 1.15m by 2100, threatening coastal infrastructure and requiring costly protection measures. ST
• By Activity Type, the marine segment is predicted to grow at a notable CAGR of 14.93% from 2025 to 2034. Precedence Research
• Marine Ecosystem Impacts: Offshore drilling and increased maritime traffic pose risks to marine biodiversity in Guyana's coastal waters. Discovery Alert
• A circular economy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and the amount of plastic waste that enters the oceans each year by 80% by 2040. Claight Corporation (Expert Market Research)

Last updated: 07 September 2025