Rising sea levels have a wide-ranging array of impacts on island nations and coastal regions.
These effects include:
Erosion and coastal flooding: Higher sea levels intensify the impact of storm surges, leading to the heightened erosion of beaches, shorelines, and coastal bluffs. This threatens beachside homes and businesses, as well as vital infrastructure like roads.
Saltwater intrusion: Rising sea levels can cause saltwater to invade freshwater sources – compromising supplies of safe drinking water and affecting agriculture.
Displacement of people: With some islands gradually becoming uninhabitable, internal and cross-border migration will increase – creating political and economic challenges.
Loss of land and habitats: The ceding of low-lying coastal land to the ocean can destroy valuable ecosystems – including mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs – that provide habitats for wildlife, and act as natural barriers against storm surges.