Introduction Current climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international group of more than 2,000 scientists, project that the Earth will warm by two to six degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
Sea level is projected to rise by six inches to as much as three feet during that same period.
For Washington, D.C., increased sea levels may increase risks of flooding of the Potomac River, threatening such historic and culturally significant landmarks as the Mall, Georgetown, and the cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue, and eastern equine encephalitis may also reemerge or increase in incidence. Recreational beaches, such as in Ocean City, Maryland, may be lost as sea levels rise unless vigorous and expensive beach renourishment projects are continued and expanded. The shellfish, birds, and fish of the abundant Chesapeake Bay ecosystem may be decimated by a combination of sea-level rise and warmer temperatures. Some historic Chesapeake Bay island communities may be completely submerged by the end of the next century.