A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa forecasted that the sea level in the Honolulu neighborhood of Waikiki is expected to rise by 1 foot by 2050 and nearly 6 feet by 2100, KHON2 reported.
What's happening?
The researchers warned that it is past time to begin adapting infrastructure in Waikiki to withstand the coming floods. Using input from the community, they developed several adaptation strategies, including "relocate critical equipment in buildings and streets, elevate utilities and walkways, and incorporate water storage tanks and bioretention areas to manage stormwater runoff."
"The process that we are using to visualize potential adaptation strategies and discuss them with the community should be replicable in other areas," said UH Manoa Associate Professor Wendy Meguro, per KHON2. "Given the long lifespan of buildings or roadways, they will likely still exist in 50 years. The decisions we make today should anticipate the flooding that we will have 50 years from now."
Why are rising sea levels important?
As the report indicated, sea levels are expected to rise rapidly over the next century — a consequence of human-caused pollution that has overheated the planet and led to changing weather patterns.
The projections in other places, such as New York's Hamptons, are similar to the predictions out of Hawaiʻi. Officials estimate that sea levels there will rise 1 to 2 feet over the next 25 years and a full 6 feet by 2100.
Rising sea levels would result in massive and widespread flooding, which would entirely reshape coastal communities and drive huge numbers of people from their homes.
What's being done about coastal flooding?
As the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa report indicated, coastal communities must immediately take action to guard themselves against flooding by elevating critical equipment and devising systems to deal with stormwater.
However, if sea levels are rising high enough to make people's homes unlivable, these changes won't ultimately matter much. To save these coastal communities, we must take action to stop the pollution — particularly the pollution from planet-overheating dirty energy sources like gas and oil — that causes the problem in the first place. Voting for pro-climate candidates, educating yourself about important climate issues, and even unplugging energy vampires can make a big difference.
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