Sea Level Rising

Current Affairs

Rising sea levels threaten coastal regions and low-lying islands worldwide, necessitating rapid emission reductions, adaptation strategies, and global cooperation to mitigate impacts.

🌊 Rising Sea Levels: Global sea levels have risen by more than 20 cm since 1880, driven by global warming, melting ice, and thermal expansion. By 2100, sea levels could rise 38-56 cm if current climate targets are met.

🌍 Affected Regions: Low-lying islands like Fiji, the Maldives, and Tuvalu, as well as megacities including Mumbai, Los Angeles, and London, face severe risks from rising sea levels, threatening infrastructure and millions of residents.

🔥 Causes:

  • Global Warming: Emissions from fossil fuels contribute to rising temperatures and increasing sea levels.
  • Thermal Expansion: Warmer oceans expand, adding to sea level rise.
  • Melting Ice Sheets: Antarctica and Greenland lose hundreds of billions of tons of ice annually, contributing to rising seas.

🚧 Threats: For every cm rise in sea level, 6 million more people are at risk of flooding. Low-lying regions face an existential threat, while coastal populations, including 900 million people in low-elevation zones, are vulnerable to displacement.

🛡️ Responses:

  • Emission Reduction: Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is key to limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.
  • Adaptation Strategies: Measures include constructing sea walls, and storm surge barriers, improving drainage systems, and using nature-based solutions like mangrove regeneration.
  • Assistance for Low-Lying States: Island nations are employing strategies like relocating villages and building floating cities, with a need for global financial assistance.

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