Rising seas will sink more cities by 2050; Asian countries most at risk
By CJ Juntereal
Published Oct 30, 2019 04:31 pm
By Gabriela Baron
New research suggests that 300 million homes will be affected by coastal flooding in 2050.
The new numbers surpass the previous estimate of 80 million.
FERRY ACROSS KALAW — An inflatable boat ferries pedestrians across flooded Kalaw St. in Manila (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
According to a study by Climate Central, rising seas will cause more damage, cost more money, and impact more communities that ever before.
"By 2050, sea level rise will push average annual coastal floods higher than land," it said in Twitter.
The majority of the people that will be affected live in eight Asian countries, namely, the Philippines, China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan.
Recently, Indonesia announced plans to move the capital city from Jakarta to Borneo. Jakarta sits on the island Java, which is the fastest sinking city in the world.
Brazil and the United Kingdom could also see land falling permanently below the high tide line by 2100.
"In the decades ahead, sea-level rise could disrupt economies and trigger humanitarian crises around the world," continued Climate Central.
Sea level rise is a result of heat-trapping pollution from human activities. It causes ice sheets and glaciers to melt, increasing the volume of water in the oceans.
However, according to Peter Girard, director of communications for Climate Central, there is a "silver lining.'
"They give us the knowledge we need to take action in time to protect millions, and to avoid economic and political upheaval that a climate disaster on this scale could bring," he said.
FERRY ACROSS KALAW — An inflatable boat ferries pedestrians across flooded Kalaw St. in Manila (Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
According to a study by Climate Central, rising seas will cause more damage, cost more money, and impact more communities that ever before.
"By 2050, sea level rise will push average annual coastal floods higher than land," it said in Twitter.
The majority of the people that will be affected live in eight Asian countries, namely, the Philippines, China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan.
Recently, Indonesia announced plans to move the capital city from Jakarta to Borneo. Jakarta sits on the island Java, which is the fastest sinking city in the world.
Brazil and the United Kingdom could also see land falling permanently below the high tide line by 2100.
"In the decades ahead, sea-level rise could disrupt economies and trigger humanitarian crises around the world," continued Climate Central.
Sea level rise is a result of heat-trapping pollution from human activities. It causes ice sheets and glaciers to melt, increasing the volume of water in the oceans.
However, according to Peter Girard, director of communications for Climate Central, there is a "silver lining.'
"They give us the knowledge we need to take action in time to protect millions, and to avoid economic and political upheaval that a climate disaster on this scale could bring," he said.