A recent study suggests that costal damage due to
flooding could end up costing coastal cities well over one trillion
dollars. More and more floods have occurred,
and are expected to occur, because of climate change. Two other suggested causes are subsidence
(the lowering, or sinking, of the land) and a rapidly growing population. The researchers in this study focused on the
one hundred thirty-six largest coastal cities in the world. "For each city
we assessed the total cost of potential damages," said one of the
researchers. "But we also looked at the relative losses, comparing the
absolute cost to the city's gross domestic product, to give an idea of the
actual vulnerability of each city."
They found that developing nations were especially prone to financial
and structural damages due to floods because they do not have to resources to efficiently
plan for floods. The best way to reduce
damage when floods occur is to plan cities and buildings with floods in
mind. Build structures that are able to
withstand the effects of flood conditions.
But, developing countries are unable to afford the resources necessary
to construct such buildings. It is scary
to think of damage being done to the coast on such a massive scale. We can build “flood-proof” buildings for now,
but as the climate continues to change and the coast continues to flood,
eventually nature will outdo technology.
As a resident of Charleston, SC for three years, coastal flooding is something I am very familiar with. Downtown Charleston floods almost every time it rains. It's not unlikely to find residents kayaking down flooded streets. In fact, many say it adds to the charm of the city. Charleston is among the most historical and eldest established cities in the southeast. Due to a majority of the land that borders the harbor is man made doesn't help with the flooding. Charleston has learned to cope with the flooding for many years, and buildings that our nearly 300 years old are still standing and void of much water damage, if any at all. Living on the coast and flooding is just something that humans have had to deal with for a majority of time. The land is flat unlike the mountains and foothills, and so the water has no where to flow. Drains and "stilt houses" are both viable options that Charleston County has learned to implement. Protecting ourselves from floods is something that we can do, maybe not easily or cheaply, but coastal flooding is an issue, and like the inhabitants of Charleston, many must learn to cope with the water.
ReplyDeleteThere is not much more to be done about floods on the coast other than building around the floods on the coast. I lived on the Gulf Coast almost all of my life and we have always had problems like this. The problem about the subsidence of the land is very scary. That problem is one that cannot be fixed, it is only a matter of mother nature.
ReplyDelete