South Pacific

Small island states in the South Pacific are fighting for their survival against rising seas and intensifying storms, and commentators argue their growing debt burdens should not be used as leverage against them. Writing on the challenges facing these nations, the piece calls for debt relief rather than exploitation as the islands struggle to finance climate adaptation while servicing loans.

California is preparing for flooding and landslides as forecasters expect a super El Niño this year, a warming of equatorial Pacific waters that disrupts weather patterns worldwide. After years of coastal erosion, communities such as Pacifica, south of San Francisco, are already showing strain, and officials worry heavy winter storms could worsen damage to weakened cliffs and hillsides.