coasts case studies Flashcards
what is happening in the Kiribati islands
sea levels are rising 1.2cm a year and most of the island is only 2m above sea level
it is the most vulnerable place due to global warming and is creating the first climate refugees
what is happening in the River Nile Delta
it is the longest river in the world and river discharge has fallen from 35 to 10billion m3, casued by the trapping of sediment in a dam (Aswan dam). The erosion rates at Rosetta (the main branch that meets the sea) has gone from 25 to 200m, meaning it is being starved of sediment
what happened in bangladesh regarding Cyclone Sidr
- 2007
- storm surge of 6m
- drinking water contaminated
- electricty and communication was cut off
- extensive flooding in low-lying areas
- US$1.7bn
most of the losses where due to lack of/failure embankments and subsequent flooding
the death toll was lower than expected due to improved forecasting and weather warnings
coastal flooding in developed areas
2013-2014 storm surge that affected the UK
- the atlantic ocean pushed strong winds towards the UK which led to a storm surge and increased the height of the surge and tides
- £100 million in damage
- the Thames barrier was closed which protected most of London
- hundreds of thousands of properties where protected by flood defences
what happened with hurricane sandy
a hurricane caused by a tropical wave which led to a tropical depression
- $18bn for NYC
- 100mph gusts of wind
- heavy rainfall which led to flooding
- around 300,000 homes in NYC destroyed/damaged
- climate change exacerbated the hurricanes impacts
what is happening in Jakarta
the mega-city is the capital of Indonesia and homes 32million people. it is slowly sinking due to illegal over-abstraction of the underground aquifers due to a lack of public access to water. this is leading to the ground sinking 25cm a year and is expected to have most of the city underwater by 2050
what is happening in Bangladesh
169million people live in Bangladesh and 46% live less than 10m above sea level and are at extreme risk of coastal and river flooding.
physical = height of the land makes bangladesh more vulnerable
human = subsidence for agriculture and water abstraction and removal of vegetation
