Impact sea level rise

Subject: Environment

Context:

In a study, researchers predict that by 2100, the global population potentially exposed to episodic coastal flooding will increase from 128-171 million to 176-287 million.

Findings:

• Sea-level rise (SLR) is a “well accepted” consequence of climate change.
• Globally, of the 68 per cent area that is prone to coastal flooding, over 32 per cent can be attributed to regional SLR
• Because sea level rise is not uniform across the world, there is a need to differentiate regional SLR from the global rates. For instance, the gravitational pull of the polar ice sheets has different effects on sea levels in different parts of the world, which means regional SLR can be higher or lower than the global SLR.

Impact:

• Habitat contraction
• Loss of functionality and biodiversity
• Lateral and inland migration.