Global Outlook for Ice & Snow

Figure 6C.13: Concentration of human settlement and activities is frequently along low-lying coasts, as shown here for Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Photo: Helen Henry

In addition, most of the world’s megacities are in vulner- able coastal regions, some are located on sinking deltaic regions, and are subject to flooding from storm surges as so graphically illustrated by the New Orleans experi- ence of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. See the box on New York City for a case study on vulnerability of megacities to sea-level rise.

offices, fire and police stations are mostly located with- in coastal inundation zones 75 . The port facilities at Suva, Fiji and Apia, Samoa would experience overtopping, damage to wharves and flood- ing of the hinterland if there was a 0.5 m rise in sea level combined with waves associated with a 1 in 50 year cyclone 76 .

CHAPTER 6C

ICE AND SEA-LEVEL CHANGE

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