Thaw is a problem that will eventually affect us all, especially those who live on low-lying islands or on the coasts. In the specific case of Europe, there are some 5 million people who at the end of the century will have a greater risk of suffering the consequences of massive floods, according to a study published in the journal »Earth's Future».
These types of disasters, which occur once every 100 years, could happen annually if greenhouse gases continue to be emitted as we are currently doing.
The study, which has been prepared by an international team of researchers from Greece, Italy and the Netherlands, and which has been led by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission, reveals that increasing the frequency of potentially damaging floods will likely push current protective structures beyond their design limits, so much of the coastal areas would be exposed.
Northern European, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions will experience the greatest increase in massive flooding, to the point that, if until now they occurred once every century, by 2100 they could occur several times a year.
Floods will be an increasingly frequent problem.
Marta Marcos, researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies of Spain, pointed out that the number of people living in areas at risk of flooding could be used to determine the magnitude of the impact this problem has on society and the economy, which could help develop better adaptation strategies.
And it is that, in the worst case, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, sea level on European coasts would rise an average of 81 centimeters, affecting some five million Europeans. Taking this into account, it is important, as well as urgent, to take measures to avoid disaster.
You can read the study here (In English).