Category
Office
Reach
Year
Status

The escalating challenge of climate change, particularly the alarming rise in global sea levels, demands urgent attention. The impacts of sea level rise extend far beyond geographical and environmental concerns, encompassing profound social and economic consequences—including loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, displacement, inadequate healthcare, and cultural loss. Countries in the Asia Pacific region are especially vulnerable due to the prevalence of low-lying coastal areas.

To address this pressing issue, UN Global Pulse is collaborating with the Government of Indonesia to identify areas requiring targeted interventions. This effort leverages a data-driven decision support platform to develop effective adaptation measures. Following a successful pilot programme in Indonesia, we are exploring opportunities to scale this solution across the Asia Pacific region, with a particular focus on the Pacific Island countries where rising sea levels present a significant threat.

Our impact

In collaboration with the Government of Indonesia, specifically the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), we have co-created a data-driven decision support tool. This platform integrates multiple data layers and clustering methods to identify areas requiring targeted interventions. It also features a scenario planning tool that models the impacts of varying sea level rise stages (1–5 meters), facilitates prioritization, and provides visually engaging representations of potential impacts.

Through this collaborative process, we have enhanced institutional awareness of the impacts in different sectors and identified critical data gaps and analysis needs related to sea level rise.

The tool has enabled the government to pinpoint areas most vulnerable to tidal floods, simplifying the prioritization of interventions. Additionally, it has strengthened the government’s ability to effectively communicate the risks of sea level rise to stakeholders.