Sea level rise, caused by climate change, could reach one meter by 2100 in large parts of the archipelago, according to a study. Large cities in the north of the country are threatened by more frequent flooding.
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Millimeter by millimeter, the teeth of the sea nibble the archipelago. Sea levels are rising twice as fast as expected in parts of New Zealand, according to a study released Monday (May 2). A pace that leaves the country less time to adapt to climate change, and which threatens the country’s two largest cities.
According to data collected by the NZ SeaRise research program, some areas along the coastline are already sinking three to four millimeters a year. The cause is climate change, which is melting the ice caps of Greenland and Antarctica and causing the thermal expansion of the oceans. But not only: the lands of the archipelago are also sinking. If sea levels were to rise by around half a meter globally by 2100, that rise would therefore be expected to reach almost a meter in large parts of the archipelago, according to Tim Naish, the professor at Wellington University in Victoria who co-directed the programme.
The more populated North Island is very exposed, especially on its southern coastline: Wellington, the capital, could experience a sea level rise of 30 centimeters by 2040, which was not expected before 2060. Auckland, the country’s largest city, is also particularly vulnerable.
“We still have time, but we no longer have time to sit idly by”, said the scientist. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the authorities were already thinking about relocating some residents and infrastructure, and called on New Zealanders to do everything to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.