Produced by: BT Desk Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Major Indian coastal cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Thoothukudi, face significant risks from rising sea levels.
Credit : AI GENERATED
By 2050, 998 buildings and 24 km of roads in Mumbai could be impacted. During high tides, these numbers could soar to 2,490 buildings and 126 km of roads.
Credit : AI GENERATED
Over 7% of Chennai’s land area may be submerged by 2040, growing to nearly 10% by 2060. Sea level rise poses an increasing threat to the city’s infrastructure and population.
Kochi is expected to see 464 buildings impacted by 2050, with the figure rising to 1,502 during high tides, making the city highly vulnerable to flooding.
By 2050, 206 buildings and 9 km of roads in Visakhapatnam are projected to be inundated due to rising sea levels.
In Thiruvananthapuram, between 349 to 387 buildings are predicted to be impacted by sea level rise by 2050, posing a significant threat to the city’s infrastructure.
Thoothukudi’s industrial areas are at high risk of inundation, jeopardizing key economic zones in the city.
This comprehensive analysis was conducted by RMSI, a global risk management firm, using data from the IPCC’s sixth assessment report and other climate change studies.
Mumbai has experienced the highest sea level increase (4.44 cm) from 1987 to 2021, followed closely by Haldia, Visakhapatnam, and Kochi.
Sea levels are expected to continue rising throughout the century. If emissions are not reduced, the impacts will worsen, making low-lying coastal areas particularly vulnerable to flooding and erosion.