Rising sea levels threaten to flood India's largest coastal cities, putting millions of residents and critical infrastructure at risk in the coming decades.
Per The Wire, new research revealed that many major metropolises will experience increasingly severe flooding as ocean levels climb due to the burning of dirty energy sources that continues warming the planet.
What's happening?
The August study projects that the relative mean sea level will greatly increase around coastal cities — from 62 centimeters (24.4 inches) in Visakhapatnam to 87 cm (34.3 in) in Bhavnagar — by 2100.
Globally, mean sea levels have risen 20 cm (7.9 in) since 1800 and now climb 0.322 cm (0.13 in) per year. They could increase by up to 1 meter (39.4 in) by the end of the century, per The Wire.
The study notes that Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata are also at risk from extreme sea level rise. "Under high-emission climate scenarios, significant flooding risks are posed to the city of Chennai, including its extensive coastal infrastructure and large resident population," according to the paper.
Mumbai faces extensive flooding across all scenarios. "The flooding reaches its peak intensity across the coastal section and riverfront zones as extensive parts of the city's urban facilities area come under risk," the authors noted.
The Wire pointed out that heavy rains in August resulted in severe flooding in Visakhapatnam, where coastal erosion is chronic.
Why is sea level rise important?
When we burn coal, oil, and gas for energy, the resulting pollution traps heat in Earth's atmosphere. This warming melts ice sheets and glaciers while causing ocean water to expand, driving sea levels higher and threatening communities across the globe.
The sites of these Indian cities make them especially vulnerable. "Sea levels at these locations begin higher than [in] other regions, and their risk response escalates much more when emission scenarios reach … their peak," the researchers said.
Flooding threatens people, homes, businesses, freshwater sources, and livelihoods. Another study found that 13 wards in Mumbai — which house 61% of the city's 20 million-plus people — now face flood risks, per The Wire.
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Absolutely 👍 "Historically, the north Indian Ocean has been a hotbed for tropical cyclones, and the coasts of the Indian subcontinent are prone to storm surges and tidal maxima with a typical range of a few meters," the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services stated. "Notably, a large part of the coastal zones of the Indian subcontinent lies well within 5-10 meters of mean sea level."
What's being done about sea level rise?
Researchers recommend building flood barriers, seawalls, and storm surge protection systems for high-risk cities.
"We have the necessary technology to work on coastal flooding, but we need implementation," said Subimal Ghosh, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth assessment. He called for early warning systems, expanded storm water drainage networks, better flood monitoring, and urban flood models for every city.
The Indian government has also implemented a coastal management information system to address coastal erosion challenges via data collection and analysis. The National Centre for Coastal Research maps shoreline changes to enhance preparedness for storm surges and tsunamis.
Learning more about critical environmental issues and reducing your reliance on dirty energy sources remains one of the most effective ways to slow sea level rise and protect cities where millions of people live and work.
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