By 2100 global sea level rise could create hundreds of millions of climate change refugees

The anthropogenic climate changes occurring on our planet have many effects. One such effect, global sea level rise, has very serious implications for those residing in coastal areas all over the globe. Living in coastal areas has many benefits, but rising sea levels could endanger those living in these low-elevation zones, altering coastal geography, reducing habitable land and forcing migrations from these at one time very hospitable areas. Recent evidence suggests that these migrations and creation of "refugees may happen sooner than anticipated.

The United Nations estimate the earth's population to reach nine millions by 2050. Projections made by Geisler and Current at Cornell estimate that by 2060 about 1.4 billion people could become climate change refugees. They extrapolate that number increasing to 2 billion by 2100. The paper discusses solutions and adaptations locations like Florida and China are devising in anticipation of such seemingly inevitable events.

For the publication Geisler, C & Current, B. (2017) Impediments to inland resettlement under conditions of accelerated sea level rise. Land Use Policy, 66: 322-330

Please see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837715301812

Photo: Tuckerton, NJ following hurricane Sandy in Oct 2012