CLIMATE CHANGE FAQ

  What is Climate Change

  Scientific Basis of Climate Change

  Impacts of Climate Change
    On health

  Impacts of Climate Change on
    Coastal Zone and Small Islands

  Reports & Data

Climate change and resulting seal level rise can have a number of negative impacts on energy, industry, and transportation infrastructure; human settlements; the property insurance industry; tourism; and cultural systems and values. (WGII SPM) Sea level rise will continue at a scarcely unabated rate for many centuries after concentration stabilization and/or the stabilization of global mean temperature (WG I SPM Chapter 7).

 IPCC Findings

The impact of a higher average sea level on coastal areas may be increased greatly during high tides and storms. Higher average sea level means high tides will be higher and coastal storm flooding and storm surges will cover more area. Larger stretches of coastal lands could potentially be flooded and damaged. Those coastal ecosystems particularly at risk include saltwater marshes, mangrove ecosystems, coastal wetlands, sandy beaches, coral reefs, coral atolls, and river deltas as well as developed coastal cities towns and resort areas.

Changes in these ecosystems would have major negative effects on tourism, freshwater supplies, and biodiversity. (IPCC, SAR, 3.10)

 Although adaptation measures may be able to preserve much of the economic value of coastal areas in some countries, sea level rise and increased sea temperature has the potential to destroy unique human, animal, and plant habitats. For example, as sea level rises, wetlands may be able to move inland. However, human infrastructure may block his movement leading to the decline and loss of the wetland. The IPCC estimated that even if wetlands were able to move inland, a sea level rise of 20 inches would result in a loss of 17 to 43 percent of coastal wetlands in the United States. If the wetlands cannot migrate the loss will be much more severe.

 Links and References

Coral bleaching events have been increasing in both frequency and extent worldwide in the past 20 years. Global climate change may play a role in the increase in coral bleaching events, and could cause the destruction of major reef tracts and the extinction of many coral species. Find out more at: http://www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations addresses issues related to the potential impacts of sea level rise on the world's coastal populations and agriculture. This is a "global" study mostly based on national data in India.
http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/sustdev/EIdirect/EIre0045.htm

 Ozone Action published a report on the impact of sea level rise, you can find it at
http://www.ozone.org/sealevel.html

World Wildlife Fund displays its research on the impact of the coral reef system in the face of rising temperatures. The page discusses the unique diversity the coral reef systems hold, the threat climate change poses and solutions to prevent further damage.
http://www.panda.org/climate/pubs/coral/index.htm