ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE SEA LEVEL CHANGES FOR COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientific research conclusively proved that the dominant cause of climate change and global warming is anthropogenic greenhouse effect. Climate change, caused by the humanity industrial development in the last 100 years going too fast and the modern society can not ignore it now. There is a risk of strong and abrupt changes, by 2050 global warming can increase to 2-5 °C. The destruction of the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica leading to sea level rise and alter the boundaries of shoreline is the most dangerous. According to current climate models in the 21st century warming even 1,4 °C would be stronger than in the past 10,000 years. Global ecosystem and humanity are not ready even for such “optimistic” scenario changes. In the case of “worst” scenario of temperature increase to 5,8 °C the effects from climate change and as a result the sea level rise would be catastrophic.

sea level rise, climate change, economic losses, global warming, greenhouse effect, flooding, shoreline