One of many climate change issues officials are worried about is rising sea levels. Risk management officials discussed that and more when they gathered for the first day of the 13th annual PRIMO conference.

Climate change stands to trigger a regime change in Alaska with far-reaching consequences as frozen ground thaws beneath us, a prominent University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist told the Tanana Chiefs Conference on Tuesday.

Last year, scientists discovered that the great ice sheet of West Antarctica had destabilized, causing the start of a 10 foot rise in sea level. Now, a huge glacier in East Antarctica is suffering the same fate, and could add yet another 10 feet to the sea level rise.

Winds of up to 300 kilometres per hour tore through the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu over the weekend, hitting the heavily populated capital of Port Vila on Saturday morning. Aid agencies say Cyclone Pam could be one of the worst disasters ever to hit the region, the BBC reports. The death toll currently stands at eight and is expected to rise as rescuers reach the more remote islands.

A warming ocean is pouring through newly discovered rivers under the largest glacier in East Antarctica, confirming this sleeping giant of climate change is awakening. As the seawater seeps further inland, the Totten Glacier – twice the size of Victoria – faces the prospect of irreversible melt which will hasten global sea level rise, according to Australian scientists.