Scientists issue warning as looming crisis threatens iconic US coastline: 'It's going to be much more difficult'

One of the world's most iconic beach communities is at great risk from rising sea levels, according to a new report.

What's happening?

The Malibu City Council revealed in late October a comprehensive coastal vulnerability assessment that identified "four major areas of vulnerability along the city's 21-mile coastline," as the Santa Monica Daily Press reported. They are residential and commercial development, septic systems in low-lying areas, the Pacific Coast Highway, and narrow beaches.

Environmental Science Associates used U.S. Geological Survey modeling to predict how tidal inundation, shoreline erosion, storm flooding, and wave run-up will impact the area as sea levels rise as much as 6.6 feet. The newspaper highlighted that sea levels will be 2.5 feet higher by 2070-75.

This is the result of rising global temperatures, which are melting ice sheets and similar geological features as well as expanding ocean water. The burning of dirty energy sources is adding heat-trapping pollution to the atmosphere, and that makes ocean as well as land temperatures much higher. Some places are getting drier, while others are getting wetter.

In a big storm, the famous Pacific Coast Highway could be wiped out, and septic systems will be particularly at risk as groundwater rises with sea level.

Why is this important?

Some of the homes in this vulnerable area were destroyed in January — not by water but by the Palisades Fire, which showed how much more severe disasters fueled by a changing climate can be. Rising global temperatures are also making wildfires, heavy rains, floods, heat waves, and other extreme weather more frequent. 

Council member Bruce Silverstein noted that while people who are rebuilding will not be affected by future regulations that take sea level rise into account, that will change.

"Going forward, those same reasons and rules would dictate with respect to undeveloped properties that it's going to be much more difficult," he said, per SMDP.

What's being done about the risks to Malibu?

This assessment has been in the works since 2019. Next year, Environmental Science Associates will present adaptation and mitigation measures to the council. The Daily Press said they would include structural elevation, dune restoration, and coastal armoring.

A final report will feature hazard maps for different sea-level rise scenarios and help the city update its Local Coastal Program, implement resiliency plans, and develop long-term strategies.

While 2070 may seem like the distant future, other coastal cities are already taking action to counter this critical climate issue.

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