Vietnam faces unprecedented storms and floods if the coral reef is lost

Vietnam is on the list of countries facing unprecedented dangerous storms once coral reefs disappear, according to a new study.

The disappearance of coral reefs in the world could cause coastal flooding to become twice as dangerous, and triple the destructive power of storms.

According to a study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, along with risks like and, the disappearance of coral reefs can make floods four times more dangerous at the end of the 21st century.

The disappearance of coral reefs in the world can cause dangerous floods 2-4 times more than today - (Photo: phys.org).

In addition, without the protection of coral reefs, a large intensity storm could become twice as dangerous and cause damage to tens of billions of dollars.

Specifically, scientists who calculated floods in coastal areas could cause losses of nearly $ 4 billion a year. However, if the global coral reefs erode around 1 meter, the number of damages could double to $ 8 billion.

The most vulnerable countries include Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico and Cuba. In addition, Saudi Arabia, the US, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam are also dangerous.

Micheal Beck, an expert at the University of California and also the head of the study, said coral reefs are "natural barriers" that help reduce the destructive power of large waves.

Therefore, when these barriers narrow or gradually disappear, many coastal areas will face the risk of unprecedented devastating floods.

According to scientists, many of the 71,000km of coastal coral reefs worldwide are being destroyed by human coastal exploitation activities. Besides, coral is also affected by sea water warming up.

Previously, in 2016, an unusually high wave of sea temperatures killed nearly 30% of Australia.