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SYNERGISTIC IMPACTS: HIGHER SEA LEVELS AND BIGGER STORMS

Together, the different impacts associated

with climate change can be cumulative,
resulting in even greater consequences and
challenges for the environment and people

alike. This will be true when higher sea levels
and larger and more intense winter storms
come together. In addition to increasing sea

level, low-lying regions will also experience
increasing wind, wave height and storm

intensity (IPCC 2019). This increase in storm
intensity is expected to create even higher
storm surges leading to a heightened

potential for shoreline erosion, and will cause
low lying regions to flood with regularity.

By 2050, historical extreme flood events that
occurred every century, are projected to
increase in frequency, occurring on average

at least once a year in many low-lying regions
(Oppenheimer et al. 2019). This can result
in increased threats of flooding and erosion,

placing our homes, our beaches and
wetlands, and cultural sites of importance
Photo by: Marcus Woodbridge on Unsplash
at risk (MOE BC 2016).

Sea Level Rise
Warming temperatures from climate change have In particular, low-lying regions will be particularly
a very significant impact on ocean levels globally . vulnerable to more frequent flooding . By 2050,
Sea levels rise because warmer ocean waters historical extreme sea level events that occurred
expand in volume and because additional amounts every century, are projected to increase in frequency,
of fresh water are drained into oceans from melting occurring on average at least once a year in many
glaciers and polar ice caps . These changing low-lying regions (Oppenheimer et al . 2019) . This can
levels along our coastlines, in combination with result in increased threats of flooding and erosion,
larger and more intense winter storms with increased placing our homes, our beaches and wetlands, and
wind and wave height (IPCC 2019), will create more cultural sites of importance at risk (MOE BC 2016) .
occurrences of flooding with resultant erosion and See the next chapter for more information on
damage to shoreline infrastructure . the impacts of sea level rise on our shorelines
and coastal ecosystems .

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