Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Alternative: Adapt to Sea Level Rise

Present - 22 South Pacific island nations and territories, home to about 7 million people, are in danger of being swallowed by rising sea levels. Many Pacific Islanders do not consider the threat of rising seas to be merely scientific theory: many thousands of islanders are currently witnessing their small islands slowly disappearing.

Present Course - While conservative estimates maintain that sea levels in New York City could rise 18cm by mid-century, other estimates maintain that levels could increase by as much as 60cm. With a rise in sea levels, some parts of the city will become permanently submerged, and the city as a whole will become far more prone to flooding.

Potential Course - The Netherlands has a complex system of dams which keeps out the rising seas. Though 24 percent of the country is below sea level, the threat of flooding has been mitigated.

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