Sea Level Rise Could Reduce the World Economy by 10 Percent This Century

New research predicts that by 2100, damage from flooding and rising seas could cost the world almost a tenth of its economy.

The paper, by researchers at the University of Southampton, modeled the economic effects of future sea level rise, using various projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of future carbon emissions and global warming, along with various models of future economic growth, population growth, and population movement.

According to the IPCC’s projections, sea level will rise 25 to 123 centimeters, depending on whether humanity does a lot to tackle climate change or just coasts along with business-as-usual.  Using those models, the researchers concluded 0.2 to 4.6 percent of the world’s population will be flooded annually by the end of the century, resulting in annual losses of 0.3 to 9.3 percent of global GDP.

Sea Level Rise Could Reduce the World Economy by 10 Percent This Century