Green Options

A paper recently published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates the exposure of the world’s port cities to coastal flooding due to storm surges, and damages from high winds. The study details the potential financial and human tolls that stand to be impacted — or lost — by the decade of the 2070s, due to climate change, and the cities’ and countries’ levels of ability to cope.

The 63-page study focused on 136 cities around the world, cities with current total population of approximately 40 million, that are considered at risk of a one in 100-year coastal flood event. By the 2070s, the population is expected to be as high as 150 million who will be affected by sea-level rise and storm dangers heightened by climate change.