The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has issued a warning that sea levels in Indonesia are projected to rise by 0.8 to 12 centimeters per year due to the effects of climate change.

"This is significant because it impacts the disappearance of several small islands within Indonesia or coastal city areas," stated Donaldi Permana, the Coordinator for Climatology Research and Development at the BMKG's Research and Development Center, in an interview with Antara on Thursday.

Donaldi highlighted the national situation impacted by climate change, including an increase in temperature of 0.45 to 0.75 degrees Celsius. Additionally, he estimated that 5.8 million square kilometers of Indonesia's maritime territory have become dangerous for fishing vessels, particularly those under 10 gross tonnage (GT).

Increased temperatures have led to global warming, mainly due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) from massive fossil energy consumption, including coal and petroleum. Deforestation, partly for land clearing linked to high demand following global population growth, also contributes to this warming, facilitating the melting of ice at the North and South poles.

Consequently, this has driven a global sea levels rise of approximately 4.72 millimeters per year between January 2013 and December 2022.

"Tropical regions are the earliest impacted by the rising sea levels compared to countries in the northern and southern hemispheres," Donaldi concluded, emphasizing the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation measures to confront this significant climate change challenge.