Climate change makes once-rare coastal floods more likely, study says
Researchers say climate change and rising seas have made once-rare coastal flood events far more common, with 58% of extreme water-level days linked to warming in one study.
- On Wednesday, a new study in Nature Climate Change reported that human-driven sea-level rise has made historically rare extreme coastal flooding events about 12 times more likely to occur.
- A separate Science Advances study identified human-caused warming as the primary driver of rising sea levels since the 1960s, responsible for 58% of extreme water level days between 2000 and 2018.
- For nearly half of the sites, 100-year flood events became at least 10 times more likely by 2005, with locations like Wellington experiencing even higher increases in flood frequency.
- Supplied Victoria University professor James Renwick said the findings underline the need for "urgent adaptation," noting that the climate change signal is now detectable worldwide and affecting local coastal inundation.
- Waikato University environmental planning research associate Rob Bell explained that even minor sea-level rise can rapidly escalate flooding frequency in New Zealand, emphasizing the necessity of updated flood protection planning.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Why coastal flooding is becoming more and more frequent has ceased to be a question about the future to become an observable reality in many parts of the planet. Two new international scientific studies conclude that the rise in sea level caused by climate change is already transforming coastal behaviour and significantly increasing flood risk. Research shows that the human impact on climate accounts for a growing part of extreme events in ocean…
Only on 13: Study finds how human-caused sea level rise contributes to frequent coastal flooding
A study released in the journal Science Advances details how a specific element of climate change is leading to extreme water levels across the globe, such as coastal flooding in Southeast Texas.
Associated Press News
Human-driven sea-level rise has increased frequency of extreme coastal flooding, study says
Human-driven sea level rise has increased how often extreme coastal flooding occurs around the world, according to a study released Wednesday.
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