Climate Change Threatens Coastal Cities: Sea-Level Rise Could Cost Trillions, Displace Millions

April 25, 2025
Climate Change Threatens Coastal Cities: Sea-Level Rise Could Cost Trillions, Displace Millions
  • A recent study highlights the severe risks posed by climate change, particularly focusing on sea-level rise and its impact on coastal communities worldwide.

  • The research finds a strong correlation between global mean sea-level rise and coastal adaptation costs, indicating that higher temperatures lead to greater financial burdens.

  • As global warming increases, particularly beyond 2.5°C, adaptation costs and damages escalate significantly, with high-end damages projected to reach $2.6 trillion at warming levels exceeding 3.5°C.

  • The study argues that limiting warming to below 2°C can dramatically reduce the potential for extreme coastal damages and adaptation costs.

  • It emphasizes the necessity of adaptation strategies to mitigate future damages from sea-level rise, including constructing flood defenses and relocating infrastructure.

  • The article reveals regional disparities in adaptation costs, with Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and East Asia facing disproportionately higher damages compared to global averages as warming increases.

  • It highlights that over 1% of the global population could be displaced by sea-level rise, especially under scenarios like Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5.

  • The findings stress the importance of stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming and its negative impacts on coastal regions.

  • Overall, the article underscores the urgent need for proactive climate policies to address the looming threats from sea-level rise and associated economic impacts.

  • The study utilizes a coastal impacts and adaptation model to estimate economic losses and adaptation costs at various global warming thresholds.

Summary based on 1 source


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