The United States is employing efforts to combat sea level rise, including creating dunescapes and beaches to absorb storm energy, building seawalls, and raising road infrastructure.

According to Earth.gov, global sea levels have risen 10 centimeters between 1993 and 2020. The projected global sea level rise is 15 cm between 2020 and 2050. In the United States alone, 2.8 million single-family homes are at risk if the sea level rises between 0 and 10 feet. Properties at higher risk of inundation are selling at discounted prices compared to homes with less exposure. 

Housing costs are currently expected and prepared for long-term inundations of rising sea levels. As for housing insurance, high-risk states have seen astronomical rate increases, including Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, all of which are exposed to increasingly stronger hurricanes coming from the Gulf of Mexico. 

Community planning works in various ways around the world, and the US should definitely follow successful initiatives. One example is the “sponge city” effect in China’s coastal cities. Since 45% of Chinese citizens live in coastal cities, China has replaced regular concrete with greenery, such as retention ponds and urban gardens, and has substituted permeable concrete for roads and pathways. All of these permit greater absorption of floodwaters and sea-level rise. Another example is Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, where, instead of creating a water barrier, which would only spread floodwaters to other neighborhoods or surrounding communities, the city has established specific waterways for ocean water to flow into whenever a flood occurs. This allows for natural flooding without much damage, since the community is making space for water rather than trying to prevent its entry. 

The United States is employing efforts to combat sea level rise, including creating dunescapes and beaches to absorb storm energy, building seawalls, and raising road infrastructure. In addition, coastal cities have invested in stormwater pumps and drainage systems to help manage storm-related flooding. Many coastal cities are in urgent need of action to fight off rising sea levels, storms, and flooding. It is estimated that it will cost hundreds of billions to completely rebuild the United States’ coastal city infrastructure to address these circumstances. 

Personally, I would place limits on future sea-level property development until more accurate sea-level rise and weather pattern indicators are developed. As Americans continue to prepare for climate change, the unfortunate news is that it is happening now. What we do with our future and how we prepare for it is in our hands. Thus, we need to continue working on further climate change resilience development and focus on thinking ahead rather than looking back.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard US Country Manager, Abby Carlson.