Global ocean levels will rise uncontrollably for centuries, flooding cities with up to half a billion people today, scientists say in a recent study. This trend cannot be reversed, even if humanity manages to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era, which is the current global climate goal, scientists warn.
If the Earth warms by half a degree, another 200 million urban dwellers will regularly have to endure floods and severe storms. The higher sea level will mainly affect Asian countries – China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, which are also building the most coal-fired power plants in recent years, the study said. Another country threatened by the rise of the seas is Bangladesh.
“Currently, about five percent of the world’s population lives below the level reached by the world’s seas under the influence of carbon dioxide, which is already stored in the atmosphere,” Ben Strauss, chief research officer at Climate Central, told AFP.
The current concentration of CO2 is 50 percent higher than it was in 1800, the average temperature on the Earth’s surface has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius during that time. According to Strauss, this is enough to raise sea levels by two meters. The commitments made in the Paris climate agreement provide for the sea to rise by three meters, the only question being how long it will take, says Strauss.
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