Increased Episodic Flooding by 2100 Under High Emissions Scenarios

Scientific Reports, July 30

Under the high emissions RCP8.5 scenario, and with no adaptation such as sea walls or inland migration, increases of 48% in total land area, 20% of global GDP and an additional 23 million people could face periodic risk of flooding by 2100, significantly increasing previous estimates. Regions in northwestern Europe, Asia, and the United States comprise global “hotspots” likely to experience higher rates of episodic flooding than ever before; with 63% occurring under conditions of tide and storm surges, and 32% caused by sea level rise alone.  This emphasizes the importance of reducing global emissions drastically, while at the same time focusing on adaptation to avoid dramatic infrastructure damage from coastal flooding and sea level rise.

http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67736-6

Compiled by Amy Imdieke