Sea level increases faster than forecast

Global sea levels are increasing at a faster rate than scientists have predicted, due to severe melting of ice in the two poles.

About 600 million people living in lowland areas suffer the consequences if sea levels rise by a few centimeters.Photo: Boston Globe.

During the climate conference in Copenhagen today, scientists confirmed that the sea level could rise by one meter before 2100, much higher than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts. (IPCC). They argue that the forecasting models of this committee do not take into account the potential impact of ice melting at the two poles.

Professor Konrad Steffen (University of Colorado, USA) attended the conference, mentioning some new research on the melting phenomenon in Greenland Island, whereby ice is disappearing with increasing speed over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, Dr. John Church (Australia Climate and Climate Research Center ) said: 'The most recent study shows that the sea level has increased by 3 cm since 1993, much higher than the speed. average increase of the 20th century '.

According to scientists, the sea level will rise with increasing speed as the planet gets hotter. This forecast has important implications for communities along the coast. In the city of Lowestoft, an official of the Environmental Protection Agency said that even a modest increase in seawater could have a tremendous impact.

'Simply put, there will be no problem if the sea level is lower than the 10 cm wave breaker. But the terrible disaster will happen if it is higher than the 10 cm wave breaker, ' the official explained.

There are about 600 million people, accounting for 10% of the world population, living in lands below sea level.