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Climate-induced migration

Impacts beyond the coast

Nature Climate Change volume 7, pages 315–316 (2017)Cite this article

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Global warming and sea-level rise will potentially impact millions of people in coastal zones. New research shows that such migration will affect all US states, including inland states which are unprepared for such an inflow of residents.

Global sea-level rise has increased from 18 to 22 cm over the past 100 years, and will rapidly increase by 2.3 m per 1 °C of warming, well beyond the year 21001. With millions of people living in low-lying coastal regions and trillions of dollars invested in economic assets and residential areas, the impact can be devastating if global communities do not adapt and protect themselves. If adaption is not feasible, sea-level rise may spark large-scale migration flows of coastal inhabitants abandoning vast coastal areas in search of safer inland locations2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts is at the Institute for Environmental studies (IVM), VU University, De Boelelaan 108, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands,

    Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts

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  1. Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts
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Correspondence to Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts.

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Aerts, J. Impacts beyond the coast. Nature Clim Change 7, 315–316 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3279

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