Context:

• A recent report from the Bangalore-based think tank, Center for Study of Sciences, highlights the alarming impact of rising sea levels on coastal cities in Karnataka, including Mangalore and Udupi.
• The report warns that these areas will face significant land loss due to natural disasters and sea level rise.

Mangalore, Udupi:

• The rise in sea level due to climate change effects will cover 5% of the land area of ​​Mangalore and Udupi.
• Similarly, coastal cities such as Mumbai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Puri, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kallikote, Haldia, Kanyakumari, Panaji, Paradeep, Thoothukudi and Yanam will also face the problem, the report warned.

Big shock for 3 cities:

• Compared to the rest of the coastal cities, Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country, Yanam to Pondicherry and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu are likely to lose more than 10% of their land area.
• The report warns that Panaji and Chennai are likely to lose 5% to 10%, while other cities are likely to lose 1% to 5%.

Global Sea-level Rise and Implications: WMO

• According to theWorld Meteorological Organisation ‘s (WMO) Report “Global Sea-level Rise and Implications”, India, China, Bangladesh and the Netherlands face the highest threat of sea-level rise
• These include Shanghai, Dhaka, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai, Maputo, Lagos, Cairo, London, Copenhagen, New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Santiago.

What are the Highlights of the Report?

• Between 2013 and 2022, Global mean sea-level was 5 mm/year and human influencewas likely the main driver of these increases since at least 1971.
• Global mean sea-level increased by 20m between 1901 and 2018,
• 3 mm/ year between 1901 and 1971,
• 9 mm/year between 1971 and 2006
• 7 mm/year between 2006 and 2018.
• Even if global heating is limited to 5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, there will still be a sizable sea level rise.
• But every fraction of a degree counts. If temperatures rise by 2 degrees, that level rise could double, with further temperature increases bringing exponential sea level increases.

What is the Scenario for India?

• According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, on average, the sea level along the Indian coast was observed to be rising at a rate of about 7 mm/year during the last century (1900-2000).
• A 3 cm sea level rise could cause the sea to intrude inland by about 17 meters. At future rates of 5 cm/decade, this could be 300 metres of land taken by the sea in a century.