Can you imagine a world where the place you live today would be underwater?
From the Sea Level Rise explainer by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
Sea levels around the world are rising because of climate change. As humans burn fossil fuels, we release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, which warm the Earth and the oceans. Because water expands as it warms, the oceans are rising higher as they heat up. Climate change is also melting glaciers and ice sheets, adding more water to the oceans.
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Sea level rise is also making hurricanes and other storms more damaging—and more deadly. The high winds from hurricanes push a wall of water, known as a “storm surge,” toward shore. Sea level rise gives those waves a head start, propelling them further inland.
Scientists warn that, depending on how much sea levels continue to rise, certain islands and coastal cities could go underwater. This is especially concerning because over 10% of the world’s population lives in coastal areas that are less than ten meters (about 33 feet) above sea level—meaning sea level rise could displace tens to hundreds of millions of people.
Why not take a moment to explore where the water might be in 2100 where you live? This interactive Surging Seas Risk Zone Map can give you a glimpse into a possible future.
I tried to see where the new shoreline would be at a 30-meter water level rise, and I could see how the city where I grew up would be swallowed by the sea. The occasional floods in the low-lying areas there already give us a glimpse of what the future could look like by the end of the century.
Looking at the map, I already feel terrible seeing how the flat plains of Pampanga and Tarlac, where agricultural farms are, might be underwater at the end of the century, too, assuming a 30-m sea level rise. This could mean the loss of staple crops like rice and corn, which are crucial for our food security.
jessa 