Sea level rise and emissions make floods more frequent

Global warming has locked in sea level rise, even under a very low emissions scenario. This will result in flooding of low-lying coastal and tidal areas and higher storm surges. The Queensland Government has adopted the IPCC’s forecast that the sea level will rise by 0.8 meters by 2100. This means flood inundations will become a common occurrence at high tide. However, this projection doesn’t account for increasing global emissions. Nor the possible collapse of the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheet, which would result in greater sea level rise. 

CSIRO (2020) Climate and Disaster Resilience

Image: Goodna, Brisbane, 2022. Credit: Lucas Miller.