Sea Rising and Floods - Tremendous Threat Of Water | Documentary

Summary

This video script discusses the escalating threat of sea level rise, with potential for 10 meters increase, causing drastic coastal changes and annual losses up to a trillion dollars. It highlights the vulnerability of cities like New York and Hamburg, the underestimated risks, and the urgent need for political action. Experts from Columbia University and the German Climate Research Center emphasize the acceleration of sea level rise, the impact on weather patterns, and the challenges in protecting coastal cities. The script also addresses the psychological distance society feels from the issue and the action deficit despite abundant knowledge, concluding with the stark reality that if greenhouse gas emissions aren't reduced, we may face losing entire habitats.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, with potentially drastic impacts on coastlines and coastal cities.
• 💸 The economic impact of sea level rise could be enormous, with annual losses in coastal cities potentially reaching one trillion dollars.
• 🏙️ New York City is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, with its underground infrastructure at risk of rapid flooding.
• 🌪️ Hurricane Sandy in 2012 demonstrated the reality of the flooding risks that scientists had been warning about for years.
• 🌊 Rising sea levels exacerbate the power of waves, increasing the pressure on coastal defenses and the risk of flooding.
• 🏙️ Many major cities, including Venice, San Francisco, and London, are at risk due to their proximity to sea level.
• ⏳ Despite the urgency, coastal urbanization and population growth continue to outpace that of inland regions.
• 🌡️ Warmer waters and rising sea levels are accelerating climate cycles, leading to more frequent extreme weather events.
• 🧐 There is a risk perception paradox where people associate climate change with storm tides but may not recognize other related threats.
• 🌍 The intergovernmental panel on climate change warns that without significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, sea level rise could exceed 1 meter by 2100.
• ⏳ Coastal protection measures have a finite lifetime and may not be sustainable in the face of continued sea level rise and climate change.

Q & A

海平面上升的最坏情况是什么？

最坏情况下，到2100年海平面可能上升超过2米，这将导致沿海地区的洪水频率和强度显著增加，对低洼岛屿、沿海城市和社区构成严重威胁。这可能导致数亿人流离失所，沿海生态系统和文化遗产地受损，以及重大的经济损失。

海平面上升对沿海城市意味着什么？

海平面上升意味着沿海城市将面临更频繁和更严重的洪水威胁，城市基础设施和建筑可能遭受破坏，沿海旅游和经济活动可能受到影响。此外，沿海地区的居民可能需要迁移，文化遗产地可能面临风险。

我们如何应对海平面上升的威胁？

应对海平面上升的威胁需要采取多种策略，包括加强海岸防护措施，如建设海堤和恢复湿地；提高城市规划和建筑设计的适应性；加强科学研究以更好地理解海平面上升的过程和影响；以及通过减少温室气体排放来减缓全球变暖。

海平面上升对全球人口的影响是什么？

海平面上升可能导致居住在低洼沿海地区的数亿人口面临洪水和侵蚀的风险，这可能迫使人们迁移，影响他们的生计和安全。此外，沿海地区的经济增长和社区发展可能受到阻碍。

海平面上升的科学研究有哪些最新进展？

最新的科学研究显示，海平面上升的速度可能比之前预测的要快，这主要是由于冰川和冰盖的加速融化，以及海洋热膨胀的增加。研究还强调了采取适应性措施和减少温室气体排放的紧迫性。

海平面上升对经济资产和基础设施有何影响？

海平面上升可能导致沿海地区的经济资产和基础设施遭受严重损失，包括房产、交通系统、供水和排水设施。此外，沿海旅游和渔业可能受到负面影响，进而影响相关行业的就业和收入。

海平面上升对沿海生态系统和栖息地有何影响？

海平面上升可能导致沿海湿地、红树林和珊瑚礁等生态系统的退化或丧失，这些生态系统对于维持生物多样性、提供海岸保护和碳储存服务至关重要。生态系统的破坏还可能影响依赖这些栖息地的物种和人类社区。

海平面上升对小岛屿发展中国家有何影响？

对于小岛屿发展中国家，海平面上升可能导致岛屿部分或全部被淹没，威胁到国家的领土完整和居民的生活。这可能迫使居民迁移，对国家的经济发展和文化遗产造成长期影响。

海平面上升对文化遗产地有何影响？

海平面上升可能导致沿海地区的文化遗产地遭受侵蚀、洪水和盐水入侵的威胁，这可能破坏历史建筑、考古遗址和文化景观，影响这些遗产地的教育和旅游价值。

海平面上升对全球不同地区的影响是否相同？

海平面上升对全球不同地区的影响并不相同，这取决于各地区的地理位置、经济发展水平、人口密度和适应能力。例如，低洼的岛国和小岛屿发展中国家可能面临更大的风险，而一些沿海城市和地区可能由于更强的适应能力和资源而能够更好地应对这些挑战。

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Rising Sea Levels Threaten Coastal Cities

This paragraph discusses the accelerating sea level rise and its potential to dramatically alter coastlines, with a possible 10 meters increase. It highlights the economic impact, with annual losses in coastal cities potentially reaching one trillion dollars. The urgency for solutions is emphasized, as some areas may become unsalvageable. The focus is on New York, where geophysicist Klaus Jakob's research indicates the city's vulnerability. The paragraph also references Hurricane Sandy as a turning point in recognizing the reality of such disasters, causing significant damage and prompting a reevaluation of protective measures.

05:01

🌧️ Increased Wave Power and Flooding Risks

The second paragraph focuses on the increased frequency of extreme water levels along Germany's coast and the impact of rising sea levels on wave behavior. It explains how higher water levels can lead to greater wave power and increased pressure on coastal defenses, potentially causing them to fail. The paragraph uses a simulation to illustrate how even a minor sea level rise can turn a once-in-a-century flooding event into a common occurrence. It also discusses the specific challenges faced by cities like Hamburg and New York, where rising sea levels exacerbate the threat of storm tides and heavy rainfall.

10:01

🌡️ Measuring and Predicting Sea Level Changes

This paragraph delves into the methods of measuring sea level changes, with historical data dating back to the 17th century and more precise measurements since the 19th century. It discusses the acceleration of sea level rise, from an initial 1 millimeter per year to around 3 millimeters annually. The importance of accurate data for creating climate models is emphasized, and the role of human behavior in determining CO2 emissions and its impact on climate change is highlighted. The paragraph also touches on the challenges of predicting future sea level rise, considering the complexity of Earth's systems and the influence of human activities.

15:06

❄️ Melting Ice Sheets and the Global Impact

The fourth paragraph addresses the contribution of melting ice sheets, particularly in Greenland, to global sea level rise. It describes the massive size and weight of the Greenland ice sheet and notes the increase in ice loss since the turn of the century. The paragraph discusses the intergovernmental panel on climate change's most pessimistic estimate of a 1-meter sea level rise this century, but also mentions that this figure may be an underestimate. The focus is on the urgency of addressing climate change to prevent catastrophic consequences for coastal regions and the need for global cooperation to mitigate these effects.

20:07

🏰 Coastal Protection and the Dilemma of Retreat

This paragraph discusses the challenges of coastal protection in the face of rising sea levels, using Venice as a case study. It describes the MOSE project, an ambitious effort to protect Venice from flooding, but notes that updated predictions of sea level rise may render the project inadequate. The paragraph also touches on the broader implications for coastal regions worldwide, where the decision to invest in protection or to retreat from vulnerable areas is becoming increasingly pressing. It highlights the social, economic, and ethical considerations involved in these decisions and the potential for different countries to采取不同的 approaches based on their resources and cultural values.

25:07

🌍 Global Efforts and the Need for Lifestyle Changes

The final paragraph emphasizes the global nature of the sea level rise problem and the need for a collective response. It discusses the potential consequences of inaction, including the loss of entire habitats and the displacement of millions of people. The paragraph calls for a change in lifestyle and a shift in societal priorities to address the root causes of climate change. It suggests that while coastal protection measures can provide temporary solutions, a long-term strategy requires a global commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the inevitable impacts of a changing climate.

Keywords

💡Sea level rise

Sea level rise refers to the increase in the volume of water in the world's oceans, resulting in a rise in sea level. This is a central theme in the video, with discussions on its acceleration over recent years and potential impacts on coastlines. The script mentions that sea level rise could lead to dramatic changes in coastlines and significant economic losses, with worst-case scenarios predicting up to 10 meters of rise.

💡Coastal cities

Coastal cities are urban areas located along the shoreline. The video emphasizes the vulnerability of these cities to sea level rise, with potential annual losses reaching one trillion dollars. Examples from the script include New York, Hamburg, and Venice, which are all at risk due to their proximity to sea level and the potential for increased flooding.

💡Climate change

Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. The video discusses how climate change contributes to sea level rise, with increased temperatures leading to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. It is a driving force behind the rising sea levels and the need for protective measures against coastal flooding.

💡Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is a specific example of a natural disaster mentioned in the script that caused significant damage to coastal areas, particularly New York. It serves as a case study to illustrate the potential consequences of extreme weather events exacerbated by sea level rise, such as widespread flooding and infrastructure damage.

💡Greenland ice sheet

The Greenland ice sheet is a massive body of ice covering the island of Greenland. The script discusses its role in global sea level rise, as melting from the ice sheet contributes to the rising water levels. The video mentions the increasing rate of ice loss from Greenland, which is a significant factor in the acceleration of sea level rise.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in the context of the video refers to the measures taken by societies and governments to adjust to the effects of sea level rise and climate change. This includes building protective infrastructure like flood barriers and planning for the relocation of communities. The video explores different adaptation strategies and the challenges they present.

💡Moser project

The Moser project, also known as MOSE, is an engineering feat designed to protect Venice from flooding. The video mentions this project as an example of an adaptation measure, where floodgates are used to isolate the city's lagoon from the sea during high tides. However, the script also raises concerns about the project's effectiveness in the face of increasing sea levels.

💡Antarctic ice sheet

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice on Earth, covering the continent of Antarctica. The video discusses the potential impact of its melting on global sea levels, noting that it contains enough water to significantly raise sea levels. The stability of this ice sheet is crucial for understanding future sea level rise scenarios.

💡Storm tides

Storm tides, also known as storm surges, are abnormal rises in sea level during severe weather events. The video highlights the increased frequency and severity of storm tides due to sea level rise, which can lead to more frequent and damaging coastal flooding, as experienced in cities like Hamburg.

💡Protective measures

Protective measures are strategies and infrastructure designed to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and coastal flooding. The video discusses various measures, such as seawalls, flood barriers, and early warning systems. It also touches on the challenges of maintaining these measures in the face of rising sea levels and the potential need for more drastic actions like resettlement.

Highlights

Sea level rise is accelerating and could dramatically change coastlines.

Worst-case scenarios predict up to 10 meters of sea level rise.

Annual losses in coastal cities could reach one trillion dollars.

Some areas may become impossible to save due to rising sea levels.

Klaus Jakob's research at Columbia University focuses on the risks of rising sea levels.

New York is particularly threatened and serves as a model for modern large cities.

The city's lifelines running underground make it vulnerable to flooding.

Hurricane Sandy in 2012 demonstrated the reality of the scientists' apocalyptic scenario.

Rising sea levels can cause flooding even with a slight increase.

Coastal urbanization and population growth continue at an alarming rate.

Major cities like Venice, San Francisco, and London are at risk due to their proximity to sea level.

Scientists at Siegen University in Germany observe increasing frequency of extreme water levels.

Rising sea levels amplify wave power and increase pressure on coastal defenses.

Even a minor sea level rise can turn flooding into a common occurrence.

Hamburg faces a new problem with rain and rising sea levels.

Climate change awareness is linked to personal experience and perceived threats like storm tides.

Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are accelerating due to climate change.

Sea level measurements since the 19th century show a consistent rise.

Future projections are made using climate models and supercomputers.

Human behavior is a critical factor in determining CO2 emissions and climate change.

The Greenland ice sheet is losing mass, contributing to global sea level rise.

The Antarctic ice sheet contains enough water to raise sea levels by 58 meters.

Coastal protection is a cost-benefit calculation that may lead to abandoning certain regions.

Venice's MOSE project is an example of an extreme engineering solution to flooding.

Adaptation measures have a finite lifetime and may not be sustainable in the long term.

Climate change and sea level rise require a change in lifestyle to prevent losing entire habitats.

Transcripts

over the last few years sea level rise

has been accelerating

and this is only the start of a

development which will change our

coastlines dramatically

it may be 10 meters of sea level rise

what does the worst case scenario look

like

annual losses could be one trillion

dollars per year just in the coastal

cities

how much time do we have left to find

Solutions

some areas will be impossible to save

so how are we supposed to defend

ourselves against the scene

cannot engineer ourselves out of

syllable eyes

politicians have to act

geophysicist Klaus Jakob from Columbia

University in New York is studying the

risks posed by rising sea levels New

Yorkers particularly threatened by sea

level rise and jakob's research could

prevent damage costing billions of

dollars in 2012 his work saw him

included in Time magazine's list of the

world's most important people

New York is regarded as a model and

reference point for modern large cities

but the big apple has a problem

around the year 2000

some scientists here in New York got

together and we've realized that we have

to really raise the public awareness of

the risks that are coming our way

[Music]

we chose a generic 100 Year storm coming

into the city on the computer it was

modeled

when he had the first results we went

back to our stakeholders and said uh oh

you have a problem look at this what we

got

they said oops

New York's Achilles heel is that the

city's lifelines run Underground

we found out

to our surprise that it takes only about

40 minutes for the subway system to

flood

for a good 10 years the simulation

presented by Klaus yarkov and his

colleagues was treated as mere

scientific speculation

but Hurricane Sandy which struck New

York in 2012 turned the scientists

apocalyptic scenario into Stark reality

water actually just pouring over the sea

wall now

one hundred thousand buildings were

flooded there were 44 fertilities and

millions of people went without

electricity for weeks on end Hurricane

Sandy caused damage totaling 19 billion

dollars the city was literally in deep

water

such an extreme event should only be

expected once in a hundred years but

this assumption is no longer valid

in Klaus yakov's opinion even a slight

rise in the sea level will be sufficient

to cause flooding on this scale once

again

there are scenarios out for as much as

nine feet

three meters of civil rights by the end

of the century and that's extremely

scary

yet despite this growing risk Coastal

Engineers have calculated that

urbanization and population growth are

still taking place four and a half times

faster in coastal regions than in the

interior of the country

there are 136 coastal cities with more

than a million people in the world the

population of that of those cities was

about 400 million people and about 10 40

million of those people actually live in

the coastal flood plain with current sea

levels

rising sea levels could change the world

map Venice San Francisco London many

major cities lie just above sea level

the ocean has become a threat unless

protective measures are taken whole

towns will have to be abandoned

[Music]

so far the world's coastlines haven't

changed all that much

only occasionally does the sea Advance

beyond the shore mainly when the storm

tide occurs but this is happening more

and more often scientists at Siegen

University in Germany see this as the

first phase of a steadily accelerating

process

what we have observed on Germany's Coast

over the last few decades is that

extreme water levels are occurring with

far greater frequency than average water

levels

we still know too little about wave

Behavior at higher water levels

simulates this change in a wave Channel

because the seabed is rising as the wave

passes over it it develops friction the

wave deforms and breaks normally this

happens before it reaches the Coast

we have found that when the sea level

rises because of the greater volume of

water they are carrying many waves which

would normally break while in front of a

dike can now reach it greatly increasing

the pressure on the dike and perhaps

even surging over it

the higher water level clearly amplifies

wave power the higher the water the

later the waves break and the greater

the force with which they strike a

built-up coastline

even a minor sea level rise can

massively increase wave impact

let's assume we are today here with sea

level and here comes a storm along so

it floods everything that's at this

elevation or below but now we have

sea level here so we need only a smaller

storm to flood the same area or we get

the same storm it's much higher

even a sea level rise of just a few

decimeters makes flooding no longer a

once in a century event but a normal

occurrence in New York the rise of

around one meter results in repeated

flooding

entire mega cities underwater

a science fiction scenario perhaps as in

this simulation

or are we looking here at the future

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

along with New York lying just six

meters above sea level Hamburg is one of

the city's most threatened

up to now protective measures have

served as defense against storm tides

but when the sea level rises Hamburg

also faces a totally different problem

rain

social scientist biata rata studies risk

awareness where climate change is

concerned she asked people in Hamburg

what they see as the biggest threat to

their City

[Music]

first and foremost it's a storm tide

this stems from personal experience or

from what they have heard from other

people personal experience plays an

extremely important role

her survey shows that two out of three

people in Hamburg believe that the

biggest threat to their City from

climate change comes in the form of

storm Tides

[Music]

after the horrific storm tide of 1962

the city adapted to the threat

[Music]

today catwalks enable anyone living in

an exposed area to reach the safety of

protective walls without getting their

feet wet

[Music]

but warmer water and rising sea levels

are speeding up the entire climate cycle

extreme weather events will increase

like heavy rainfalls for instance

thank you

basically what happens with heavy

rainfall events is that increased

insulation over the ocean produces

evaporation processes which cause

moisture to rise into the atmosphere

wind then blows this cloud of moisture

towards the land as long as the cloud is

over the ocean nothing happens

but when the cloud reaches something

which causes it to rise its retention

capacity diminishes and Rain then Falls

locally for example on hamburgers

the whole of Hamburg underwater

torrential rain could quickly prove too

much for the city's drainage system

new stormtite walls are being built but

they still don't offer Hamburg adequate

protection from the consequences of an

accelerating weather cycle

here in Hamburg we have what we call a

risk perception Paradox people like to

associate climate change with storm

tights so because they are safe from

them they think they are also safe from

climate change in general

it's not only Hamburg that will have to

face up to a new disaster scenario the

faster sea levels rise the greater the

influencers will have on the weather

with unforeseeable consequences

ultimately much will depend on the

degree of sea level rise

but how can the sea level and changes to

it be measured

the first sea level measurements date

back to the 17th century since roughly

the middle of the 19th century we have

had 70 or 80 gauges worldwide which we

can use to determine the level of the

ocean

one of these gauges is on heligaland it

has been measuring changes in the sea

level ever since 1885. it has produced

tens of thousands of data which are

stored in an archive in turning in

Northern Germany

[Music]

this data treasure is the sole source

available to researchers for determining

with millimeter accuracy whether the

annual sea level rise in Germany belongs

to Natural fluctuation or is already

part of a long-term Trend the figures

are clear the sea level has been rising

ever since we began measuring it

since the late 19th century the sea

level has been rising faster and faster

initially at a rate of one millimeter

per year but since the 1960s and 70s it

has been accelerating again and the

increase now stand at around three

millimeters a year

historic data are also utilized in

Hamburg at the German climate Research

Center the

the krz they form the basis for climate

models

here future projections have been made

ever since the late 80s

especially scientific knowledge coupled

with state-of-the-art computer

technology enables complex model

calculations to be made with these

simulations scientists predict what

impact the constant increase in

greenhouse gases will have on the

atmosphere and on Ocean levels

foreign with each new generation of

supercomputers projections are getting

more accurate

our specialist from Hamburg is one of

those who interpret this data for the

intergovernmental panel on climate

change as a marine researcher she's also

the co-author of the last Special Report

on the oceans she knows the models

exactly we have precise knowledge of

what has happened over the last 100

years we also know all about the

physical processes concerning water and

ice but predicting the future is like

looking into a crystal ball

in order to predict sea level rise first

and foremost temperature development

must be taken into consideration

in addition the interaction of various

forces in the earth system has to be

calculated ultimately however one factor

is Paramount human behavior

how do we assume how Society will behave

because CO2 emissions which Drive

climate change are determined by society

and that is what makes everything so

difficult

for

two years a supercomputer was fed data

for current projections

the development through to 2100 is

presented in three scenarios from a best

to a worst case

researchers have no problem explaining

sea level rise to date as the oceans

heat up the water expands but a totally

different element could soon become a

driving force

look

researchers are concerned at the

Dynamics of the Greenland ice Shield

as a result of global warming the

massive ice which The Shield releases

into the ocean every year is increasing

Greenland's ice Shield covers an

enormous 1.8 million square kilometers

in some places it's more than 1.6

kilometers thick and weighs around 2.7

million gigatons

until well into the 1990s the ice Mass

remained roughly constant

but since the turn of the century on

average Greenland has been losing

266 gigatons of ice a year and is thus

contributing to the global rise in sea

levels at a rate of 0.7 millimeters a

year

it's an extreme situation we must assume

that all the glaciers have melted along

with all the ice masses in the Arctic

and the Antarctic

and that this water has flown into the

ocean then we have a rise in the sea

level

for years now researchers have been

warning of the impact of global warming

on sea level rise

predictions are constantly being revised

upwards

for this Century the most pessimistic

estimate by the intergovernmental panel

on climate change is a rise of 1 meter

ten but even this figure is questionable

there seems to be no upward limit

over 100 scientists from 36 countries

played a part in producing the last

Special Report on the ocean and

cryosphere in a changing climate

it involved evaluating 7 000

Publications from the last five years

and resulted in a report running to some

800 pages

[Music]

and what will actually be done with the

report it was published with a lot of

hype there were numerous press releases

in a press conference

but we merely took note of everything

and then the next world climate Summit

took place in Madrid and well and yeah

it's not about knowledge about even more

accurate knowledge politicians couldn't

give a hoot whether a glacier is melting

at a rate of two or three millimeters a

year they decide on whether to impose

restrictions on the car industry like

promoting electric vehicles we have

produced a vast amount of information

over the last 15 years what we have

today is not an information deficit but

an action deficit

social scientists call this phenomenon

the concept of psychological distance

you can't feel statistics we distance

ourselves from the fate of the

individual from the fate of small

islands and Coastal inhabitants

[Music]

but how much longer can we continue to

do that

few cities depend more on exact

forecasts for their existence than

Venice

some parts of Venice are not even one

meter above water ever since sea level

rise began together Pace the city has

also suffered from increased flooding

now every centimeter is of crucial

importance

Century Venice has a solution

the venetians are plagued by a trauma

November 1966 the sea level Rose to 1

meter 80. scientists calculated that

such an extreme storm tide would occur

only once every 200 years even so the

city wanted to take defensive steps to

prevent flooding on such a scale ever

happening again

Engineers came up with a concept which

in an emergency would isolate venice's

Lagoon completely from the sea this

bulwark was given the name Moser

Mauser lies on the seabed should a storm

tide occur 78 floodgates will be filled

with air and forced upwards closing the

Lagoon and sealing off the city from the

sea

brilliant solution

but mosa has one drawback it could be

too low

we have a dimensioned the system

considering the ipcc

scenarios

in the

late 90s and we have considered the

worst scenarios that is 60 centimeters

of sea level rise in The Next Century

but forecasts have changed the

prediction for this century is now a sea

level rise of more than one meter then

Moser which cost five and a half billion

euros would no longer be able to protect

Venice

if

there will be two meters of silver rice

we have to

we have to do something else but not

only Venice the entire Coastline in

Italy and in the Mediterranean

its Engineers have no time to lose

even last winter mosa was already unable

to keep water out of the city

last high tide in Venice was extremely

high it caught everyone by surprise

because of corruption and planning

arrows the Marine bulwark is still under

construction

even after 20 years as a political

scandal

um

and that in a threatening situation in

which the people of Venice will have to

face the consequences

basically they must expect high water

and flooding two or three times a year

for years to come and uh

according to a current report by the

intergovernmental panel on climate

change if we don't reduce greenhouse gas

emissions a two meter rise in the sea

level cannot be ruled out

unless we manage to lower the CO2

content of the atmosphere extreme events

will become normal

then not only will Greenland's ice

masses continue to melt so will those in

the Antarctic where the ice Shield has

so far been regarded as more stable

the ice in the Antarctic contains enough

water to cause the sea level to rise by

58 meters the ice is pushing outwards

but is held back at anchor points

the shelf ice as it's known acts like a

dam when the temperature rises by 0.5

degrees it melts from below and

fractures on the edges the anchor points

detach and ice from the land pushes

through

around 1 billion people live in

low-lying coastal regions

will we ever be able to protect them

from such enormous masses of water

at the end of the day Coastal protection

or flood protection is always a

cost-benefit calculation if costs

continue to increase through sea level

rise at some point we will have to

decide whether it still makes sense to

protect certain regions or whether we

should abandon them

Robert Nichols plays a leading role in a

totally new field of science

[Music]

human adaptation to sea level rise

here we just have 10 centimeters of beer

in a glass let's imagine that 10

centimeters of sea level rise that can

actually cause damage costs to rise

maybe double some people even say go up

10 times what they are today if we do

nothing so it's something we can simply

not ignore

like money is a key ingredient I think

it also comes down to what Society

thinks your culture your history the

these are also things that shape your

view on what is the best approach

Great Britain where Robert Nichols comes

from has already decided that in some

regions there will be no further

investment in coastal protection

based on our analysis of the destroy

Mansion plant about 500 kilometers of

defenses are expected to be abandoned

over the coming sort of 50 to 100 years

and that really means in places people's

communities having to be relocated in

land

Bosham on the south coast of England at

low tide boats are stranded nevertheless

flooding will increase in the long run

it seems the people who live here will

have no choice but to move out

poorer societies will be hit much harder

by sea level rise

the more resources that are available to

a society the easier it will be for it

to protect itself and to finance

resettlement in an emergency

has far more coastline than we have in

Germany and the relationship between the

government and its citizens is also

totally different an announcement that

resettlement will be necessary is almost

inconceivable

unlike in Britain at present no one in

Germany would contemplate resettlement

since preservation of the coasts is

anchored in the German Constitution the

country's 3700 kilometers of Coastline

enjoy unconditional protection

it's clear that sea level rise has other

consequences more storms more storm

tides and more torrential rain

Germany has the resources and the

knowledge to protect itself

that might be adequate for the near

future but just how long will present

measures prove effective

are we not simply delaying the

inevitable

I think the adaptation in many ways is

always about buying time no adaptation

lasts forever you so you build a wall in

50 years your children will have to make

a decision do they rebuild that wall or

do they maybe give up on that wall and

allow allow the sea to flood

we still have solutions for the most

likely scenarios in this Century but the

further we look into the future the more

likely it seems that our Coastal

protection has its limits

it is something that will only have a

finite lifetime maybe if you stretch it

good for this century

and then what

as a rule the time Horizon for forecasts

and the protective measures resulting

from them relayed to the year 2100

because anything else just wouldn't be

practicable but this time limit is

irrelevant to the oceans they will

continue to rise even after that

I believe that humankind will still

manage to adapt to certain things but

there will be losers

whether or not the ice shields in

Greenland and the Antarctic collapse

depends on us

but through causing temperatures on our

planet to rise the path towards this

scenario has already been taken

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pain lip service is no longer enough

unless they result in action being taken

climate Summits in Paris Copenhagen or

Glasgow will serve little purpose

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we are to combat sea level rise we will

have to change our lifestyle

if we don't

we Face losing entire habitats

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foreign

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