The Impact of Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change - Research Paper Example

The Impact of Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change The Impact of Sea Level Rise Due to Climate Change Introduction Many scientists have been interested in discovering how climate change relates to sea level. It has been established that climate change is responsible for the increase in sea volume. Basically, there are two ways in which climate change triggers an increase in sea volume. These include expansion of seawater as temperatures increase and melting of ice on land, which finally drains into sea causing a surge in sea volume. Scientists have forecasted that the rise in sea level is likely to be higher following steady increase in the last centuries. With recent increase in incidents of coastal community flooding, the impact of increase in sea level as a result of climate change has become so conspicuous that the phenomenon can no longer be ignored. The infrastructure along the coastline have been destroyed and still face potential threat with people living along the coast exposed to high risk of losing their lives and property to rising sea levels, storm surges as well as stronger tides. This paper explores how climate change leads to increased sea level and the impacts of sea level rise on the costal community and infrastructure. Climate Change and Rising Sea Level Global climate change has been attributed to natural as well as anthropogenic agents. Climate change is responsible for the rise in sea level in two major ways. To begin with, rising temperature on land causes land ice, to melt. Land ice is melting faster than ever before as a result of increasing temperatures. According to Cazenave1 and Cozannet (2014), as land ice shrinks by melting away, the melt water drains into oceans and seas of the world. Consequently, the sea level rises and water overflow the banks. Also, climate change results into rising level of the sea because of rising temperatures, which cause sea water to expand. As the sea water gets heated up, it expands occupying more space and eventually finds its way out into the land bordering the sea. Thermal expansion of sea water has been responsible for the rise in sea level for the last century since the birth of industrial revolution. The Impacts of Rising Sea Level A significant number of individuals live in coastal areas around the world. In the United States alone, about a third of the country’s population reside in coastal regions. A good number of states bordering the sea have large pieces of low-lying lands, which are very susceptible to rising level of the sea as well as coastal storm surges. The persistent rise in sea level puts the coastal regions at risk in many ways. These include: coastal community flooding causing massive destruction of property and infrastructure, degradation of shoreline from erosion and landslides, increased storm surges and loss of wetlands and estuaries. Flooding In the Coastal Community Causing Destruction of Property and Infrastructure The first impact of rising sea level is flooding in the coastal region. Melting land ice and expanding sea waters due to increased temperatures are major contributors to rising volume of the sea (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013). Coastal low-lying lands face the risk of being submerged by sea water breaking the sea banks. Therefore, coastal communities face increased risk of getting swept away by rising sea level, higher and stronger sea tides as well as frequent storm surges (SERDP & ESTCP, 2013). According to Costa et al., the most destructive effects to coastal zones originate from the occurrence of storm surges (Costa, Tekken & Kropp, 2009, p.223).In the United States, Washington shoreline is an epitome of rising sea level risk exposure. Certain areas such as South Puget Sound are more susceptible to early flooding compared to Seattle. Low-land areas bordering the coast are at increased risk of being submerged by increasing level of sea water (Thorner, Kumar & Smith, 2014). Scientists have predicted that there is high likelihood of stronger storms accompanied with heavier rainfall as well as frequent and stronger sea waves in the future because of persistent climate change. Storm surges are products of coastal storms and occur when wind strong winds drive sea water inland. As sea level rises, the storm surges become more pronounced at the water top forcing water further into coastal low-lying lands. This phenomenon is hazardous to the coastal community as it has the potential to destroy homes and extensive coastal infrastructure. Also, as sea water finds its way into low-lying areas of the coast, saltwater (seawater) finds infiltrates into wells in those areas, reducing access to freshwater for communities inhabiting the coast. Increased salinity of freshwater for drinking and agriculture adversely impact on the lives of coastal communities (WEI-SHIUEN & MENDELSOHN, 2005). Intrusion of seawater into inland areas poses huge challenge for the management of inland groundwater. Further, as low-lying regions of the coast get submerged in the swelling sea water, property and infrastructure worth trillions of dollars get destroyed (Ayyub & Kearney, 2012). This experience is quite devastating not only to the individuals living at the coast, but also to the entire economy of the country. Coastal Degradation through Shoreline Erosion and Landslides Increasing sea level has resulted into constant erosion of the shoreline, thus degrading the coastal region (SERDP & ESTCP, 2013). Besides coastal community flooding, researchers have forecasted that climate change amplifies the intensities of storms as well as oceanic wave heights. Increased frequency of intense storms together with increased sea volume leads to increased rate of erosion of the shoreline, thus causing more damage to the coastal region (Smith, 2010). As such, coastal communities have experienced massive destruction of property worth billions of dollars. Infrastructure at the coastal areas, including road, electricity supply as well as water treatment systems, have been put in constant threat by increasing sea level (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013; Ayyub & Kearney, 2012). With undying climate change, there will be more destruction to property from erosion and landslides in the future as the sea water continue to respond to increasing temperatures. Loss of Wetlands and Estuaries Low-lying areas of the coast are characterized by wetlands. Rising sea level poses potential threat to these priceless habitats (Ayyub & Kearney, 2012). There is high likelihood that wetlands will be turned into deep waters with persistent increase in sea volume (Titus & Anderson, 2009). Wetlands and estuaries play crucial role of safeguarding the coastal region against floods by absorbing overflowing water, filtering water pollutants, stabilizing shorelines and most importantly providing home for wildlife. The destruction of these crucial features will expose the coastal community to extreme risk of flood and water contamination. Further, destruction of animal habitats through increased salinity (Batzer & Baldwin, 2012; Ayyub & Kearney, 2012) may lead to species extinction and reduce tourism at the coastal areas, thus causing a significant fall in income for the coastal communities. As such, rising sea level is likely to adversely affect social and economic welfare of the coastal communities. However, rise in sea level also has its benefits despite extensive pessimism. There is likely to be new slat marshes with rich agricultural lands. Coastal areas are also likely to benefits from huge financial aids to prepare themselves against possible seawater intrusion. Conclusion Climate change plays a significant role in persistent rise in sea level that has been witnessed during industrial revolution age. Despite the fact that climate change is also attributed to natural causes, human activities have been cited as the main trigger for global climate change. Man’s heat-trapping emissions have resulted into persistent rise in sea level, which is predicted to continue for decades to come. The rise in sea level has already exhibited disastrous impacts on the lives of people living in coastal areas. Rising sea level has led to flooding of the coastal region causing massive loss of property and infrastructure. It has also caused increased erosion and landslides at the coast leading to the degradation of the coastal region. Lastly, rising sea level has led to the destruction of wetlands and estuaries, which are very important physical features at the coast. With increasing temperatures and man’s resilient attitude towards greenhouse gases emissions, the level of the sea can only be expected to continue rising and cause irreparable damage to the coastal region and entire world economy. However, the good news is that man holds the key to rise in sea level. Man’s choices on greenhouse gases emissions can significantly change the present and future trend and rate of rise in sea level. References Ayyub, B.M. & Kearney, M.S. (2012). Sea level rise and coastal infrastructure: prediction, risks, and solutions. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers. Batzer, D.P. & Baldwin, A.H. (2012). Wetland habitats of North America: ecology and conservation concerns. Berkeley: University of California Press. Cazenave1, A. & Cozannet, G.L. (2014). Sea level rise and its coastal impacts. Earths Future, 2(2): 15–34. Costa, L., Tekken, V. & Kropp, J. (2009). Threat of Sea Level Rise: Costs and Benefits of Adaptation in European Union Coastal Countries. Journal of Coastal Research, 56 (1): 223-227. SERDP & ESTCP. (2013). Climate Change and Impacts of Sea Level Rise. Retrieved on April 5, 2014 from http://www.serdp.org/Featured-Initiatives/Climate-Change-and-Impacts-of-Sea-Level-Rise Smith, S.(2010). 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