According to a study published on Monday, sea levels are rising twice as fast as previously thought in some areas of New Zealand, and rising water levels threaten, among others, the island nation’s two largest cities, Wellington and Auckland, according to reports. MTI.
– evidenced by data collected by dozens of local and foreign scientists along the coast of New Zealand over the past five years as part of a large-scale government-commissioned research program called NZ SeaRise. The researchers noted that the authorities have less time than expected to adapt to the consequences of climate change, and thus resettle people living along the coast.
He said that while the global sea level is expected to rise by half a meter by 2100, the water level in large parts of the Pacific island nation could rise by nearly a meter due to land subsidence. Tim NaishHe is a professor at Victoria University of Wellington.
Such a rise would have a particularly catastrophic effect on the capital, Wellington, where a 30cm rise in water levels by 2060 could occur as early as 2040. One of the consequences of this rise in the expected level is annual flooding causing damage to the city.
The most endangered is the southeastern coast of the North Island, which is the most sparsely populated area in New Zealand. Oakland, with a population of 1.7 million, is at particular risk of flooding downtown and some suburbs.
As part of the NZ SeaRise programme, an online map has been created, with which residents can see how much sea level rise is expected in their area.
