The Coastal Zone Rising Sea Levels Flashcards
Why are sea levels rising?
As temperatures rise and ice in the Antarctic melts, more water is being added to the sea. Additionally, thermal expansion means that warmer water takes up more space.
East Anglia: economic effects
£80 billion of property at risk as sea levels rise and the Thames Barrier becomes less effective.
£5 million a year from tourism in the Norfolk Broads would be lost.
Farmland would be swamped by sea water, rendering it unusable and so jobs would be lost. Protecting it with coastal defences would be very expensive.
East Anglia: social effects
People will lose jobs and need to be rehomed elsewhere as flood get worse.
People are worried about another storm surge, like in 1953 when 300 people died..
East Anglia: environmental effects
22% of Essex’s saltmarsh will be lost by 2050. Habitat in the Broads would also be lost
Maldives: the problems of rising sea levels?
Tourism industry under threat (currently gives 30% of GDP)
400,000 people will have to relocate, causing upheaval not only for them but also for this in whichever country (poss. Sri Lanka) they go to: overcrowding could be a massive issue.
Valuable coral reef habitats will be lost as coral is bleached.
