Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    World
    Home / World / Europe

    Some UK coastal areas may be lost to flooding due to global warming

    By Earle Gale in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2019-05-10 00:20
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    A man watches waves crash over the seafront promenade at Seaburn in England during a storm in 2013. The Environment Agency says such incidents will become more common. [Photo/Agencies]

    Some seaside villages in England may be moved inland, or to higher ground, because of the flood risk from global warming, the nation's Environment Agency warned on Thursday as it began consulting with stakeholders ahead of developing its new flood-risk strategy.

    The agency, a public body responsible for protecting and enhancing the environment in England, said global temperature rises of, on current estimates, between 2 C and 4 C by the year 2100 will trigger increased coastal erosion and excessive rain.

    The agency said sections of coastline and riverbank will need to be reinforced but other areas will be indefensible and may be lost to rising water levels.

    Emma Howard-Boyd, the agency's chairwoman, said the anticipated rise in global temperatures is far higher than the target called for by the Paris agreement — 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.

    "The coastline has never stayed in the same place and there have always been floods," she said. "But climate change is increasing and accelerating these threats … We can't win a war against water by building away climate change with infinitely high flood defenses."

    The agency believes it is time to "apply a different philosophy" in which "climate resilient" communities are built alongside natural flood barriers, the Guardian newspaper reported.

    Homes in at-risk areas should be constructed with the flood risk in mind and feature such things as electric wiring far above floor-level, flood doors, and stone floors.

    "Despite our collective best efforts, we will not always be able to prevent flooding and coastal change happening," Howard-Boyd said. "So, we need to be better at adapting to living with the consequences — for example, by designing homes that can be restored quickly after they've been inundated with water, or potentially moving communities out of harm's way."

    The agency says around 1,600 kilometers of coastline are at risk of erosion from the sea. A recent report from the Committee on Climate Change, a panel that advises the government, said up to 1.5 million properties in England could be at risk of flooding by the 2080s. The Environment Agency says it will cost around 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) a year to build traditional flood and coastal defenses to meet that threat.

    Former Conservative Party minister John Gummer, who now chairs the Committee on Climate Change, said last week the British government should immediately set a legally binding target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 in a bid to fight global warming.

    Therese Coffey, the government's environment minister, told the BBC flooding and coastal erosion can have "terrible consequences" for people, businesses, and the environment.

    "That's why we are already providing 2.6 billion pounds over six years, delivering more than 1,500 projects to better protect 300,000 homes," she said. "The threat of climate change will mean an increasing risk and preparing the country is a priority for the government, and the nation as a whole."

    Friends of the Earth added: "Smarter adaptation and resilience building, including natural flood management measures like tree-planting, is undeniably important but the focus must be, first and foremost, on slashing emissions so that we can avoid the worst consequences of climate chaos in the first place."

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    人妻丰满熟妇岳AV无码区HD| 中文字幕精品无码久久久久久3D日动漫| 最近中文字幕免费mv在线视频| 国产AV无码专区亚洲AV男同| 最近最新中文字幕视频| 精品无码专区亚洲| 日韩av无码久久精品免费| 中文字幕精品无码一区二区三区| 2022中文字字幕久亚洲| 少妇无码?V无码专区在线观看| 亚洲AV无码成人网站久久精品大| 日韩视频中文字幕精品偷拍| 天堂在线最新版资源www中文| 91精品日韩人妻无码久久不卡| 亚洲成a人片在线观看无码专区| 最近更新免费中文字幕大全| 中文字幕精品一区影音先锋| 中文字幕精品亚洲无线码二区 | 成人午夜福利免费无码视频| 欧美中文字幕在线视频| 中文字幕亚洲情99在线| 伊人久久一区二区三区无码| 天码av无码一区二区三区四区| 久久久久亚洲av无码专区导航| 无码137片内射在线影院| 亚洲av无码一区二区乱子伦as | 亚洲AV永久无码精品| 国产aⅴ无码专区亚洲av麻豆| 日本欧美亚洲中文| 日韩精品无码免费专区午夜不卡 | 亚洲AV中文无码乱人伦下载| 亚洲中文字幕无码久久精品1| 亚洲桃色AV无码| 午夜不卡无码中文字幕影院| 亚洲AV无码久久精品狠狠爱浪潮 | 国产福利电影一区二区三区久久老子无码午夜伦不 | 无码精品久久久天天影视| 亚洲av无码不卡| 精品一区二区三区无码免费视频| 日韩精品久久无码人妻中文字幕| yy111111少妇影院里无码|