Drowning Cities

Global warming is a serious threat to the whole world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) report in 2008 said that the global temperature will rise by 1.50 C within 2032 and 2050. This is mainly due to man-made activities and an effective restriction on these activities is the only remedy to control the temperature. If this continues by 2100 the sea level would increase by 40 cm’s. A large part of land will be encroached by sea. Many cities would disappear and people become homeless. Slums will increase, water scarcity will be irredeemable. The icebergs and glaciers are melting very fast which is threatening to many habitable locations on earth. 54% of people are living in flood prone area which is devastating.

Main cities that face a threat are:

Jakarta (Indonesia)

·         The city that is drowning fast

·         Altitude from MSL is 8 meters

·         Sea level increases by 24.5 cm’s

·         40% of the land is situated below sea level

·         Deforestation of mangroves, concrete building clusters and exploitation of underground water etc are the main causes for this.

Manila (Philippines)

·         7 cities are under threat as the sea level increases

·         The city is located 5 meters above the MSL

·         This level increases by 10 cm’s every year

Bangkok (Thailand)

·         As per the report of the government in 2015, 40% of the city will drown within 15 years.

·         Located 1.5 meters above MSL

·         Sea level increases by 1- 2 cm’s

London (UK)

·         The sea level would increase by 4 meters by 2100

·         West Minster bridge, parliamentary houses etc would drown by then

·         Thames Barrier created to control flood has to use six or seven times annually which points to the gravity of the situation

Lagos (Nigeria)

·         A half of the population lives in coastal areas

·         By 2050 most part of the city will be under water

·         There is a precautionary act of building sea wall which is 6.5 km’s long.

Shanghai (China)

·         Located 8 meters above MSL

·         .1 and .3 cm’s of water level increase annualy

Houston (US)

·         Though situated 15 meters above MSL the sea level rises by 2 meters annually.

·         The researchers say that the city has lost a part of it.

Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Mumbai (India) are also under threat. This situation can be confronted only through a collective effort. The main points that we could keep in mind are:

·         Reduce the emission of CFC’s

·         Reduce concrete buildings

·         Ensure the replenishing of underground water

·         Promote Eco-friendly constructions

·         Reforestation

Earth is a gift that we owe to the posterity.