1. SEA LEVEL CHANGES
One of the effects of Glabal warming is the rise in sea levels
Don’t be alarmed by all of the disaster stories, they have been rising since the end of the ‘Little Ice Age’ (17th century )
The globe has been slowly warming since, thus explains why sea levelsare 15-25cm higer than a century ago
At present rising 2mm a year

2. PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
Estimated that the rate of increase will rise to 5mm a year in the next 100 years because of;
Thermal expansion of the oceans- warmer water = less dense thus greater volume
Also contribution from melting ice, mainly alpine glaciers (Himalayas) + Melting Sea Ice (there has been a 5% decrease in Arctic between 1984 to 1999)
Polar ice caps won’t melt as much because higher global temps = more evaportation from ocean thus increased snowfall in Greenland and Antarctica

3. CONSEQUENCES OF A RISE IN SEA LEVELS
At the moment there are approx. 10 million people at a costant flood risk and another 46million at risk from storm surges
A rise of 50cm could affect 92 million people and
118 million with a 1 metre rise- which would flood, 25% of Banglandesh, affecting 60% of its population. Also flood 30% of Egypt’s arable land
Other effected cities include Tokyo, London, Bangkok, Calcutta, Hong Kong Miami
A rise of 3 degrees would lead to the complete melting of the Greenland Ice sheet, raising sea levels by 7 metres

4. Map showing the densely populated areas of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

5. Correlation showing Arable land (in percent of total land) and vulnerability index

6. Average number of annual disasters by category
Sea
Land
Population
Others
1960s 12 30 6 5
1970s 11 41 15 9
1980s 18 67 38
1990s
105
393
228 62
Based on data in OFDA, 1996