The Environmental Impact of Rising Sea Levels on the Global South
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22399/ijcesen.857Keywords:
Climate change, Rising sea levels, Coastal communities, Challenges, OpportunitiesAbstract
Climate change is a worldwide emergency that has a much greater impact on developing countries. Extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and droughts are happening more often and are more severe, causing widespread damage and displacement. Sea levels are also rising, threatening coastal communities and displacing millions of people. The impacts of rising sea levels are wide-ranging and include flooding, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion, and loss of biodiversity. The Global South is hit hardest by climate change because it is less developed and has fewer resources to adapt. It also depends more on natural resources that climate change is damaging. Sea level rise is not uniform across the globe and varies regionally. Increasingly elevated and extreme sea levels pose a significant threat to coastal areas, giving rise to a spectrum of coastal hazards. The Global South has contributed less to climate change than industrialized nations. Therefore, it is a matter of global justice that these regions be supported in their efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. In this article, the authors will discuss the impact of rising sea levels, along with the challenges and opportunities for adaptation to rising sea levels.
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