The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that if carbon emissions continue at the current rate and which is faster than feared, Algarve cities such as Faro, Olhão and Tavira could be threatened within the next thirty years.
Climate Central's Sea Level Rise Program gives an idea of what could be submerged in 2050.
According to tools that are available online from Climate Central, it is possible to see a map of the scenario 30 years from now, if nothing is done.
In the south of Portugal, the rise in mean sea level and the intensification of storms will put the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa, such as Farol, and all the beaches from Faro to Tavira at risk. Also in the east Algarve, Monte Gordo and the banks of the Guadiana River between Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim are threatened areas.
The outlook is equally unsettling in the coastal area of Andalusia. The neighbouring city of Ayamonte is a matter of great concern, in addition to Punta Humbria in Huelva and a large spot that affects the Doñana National Park, Isla Mayor and the entire surrounding area where the Guadalquivir River.
In Portugal, regions such as the Tagus Estuary and the Sado Estuary may also undergo major changes, with the flow of rivers taking over significant areas for agricultural production. Cities such as Aveiro and Figueira da Foz, in addition to emblematic places such as Padrão dos Descobrimentos, in Belém, and the Port Wine Cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia, will also be threatened by the rising waters.
According to UN experts, “humans are indisputably responsible” for climate change and there is no alternative but to reduce greenhouse gases.
The melting of the glacier cap is the main driver of sea level rise, ahead of the melting of glaciers and the expansion of the oceans under the effect of the warming of the water. The melting of the ice bank, which is submerged, does not raise the sea level. According to the United Nations' panel of climate experts (IPCC), sea levels have risen by 20 centimetres since 1900. Now, the pace of this rise has almost tripled since 1990 and, according to the predictions, the oceans could still rise 40 to 85 centimetres by the end of the century.
The Greenland ice cap, which could approach the melting point of no return according to recent studies, contains an amount of water ice capable of raising the average sea level by up to six metres.
