Six important cities may disappear from the world map due to environmental disaster
New research on sea-level rise and environmental degradation is shattering past expectations. According to a recent study by the New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center in the United States, published in Nature Communications, the extent of the damage could be three times worse than previously estimated.
This study has revealed important places in the world, which may be ‘air’ off the map by 2050. Because, researchers say, these places can sink underwater.
And the population of these places is at least 20 crores. The Pacific islands are quite vulnerable, but the population there is relatively small. So, the risk of damage is less. On the other hand, the risk of damage to populated countries is also high. Which populated places in the world are most vulnerable? Let’s find out.
- Southern part of Vietnam
Development economists have already started calling Vietnam ‘The Next Asian Tiger’. Vietnam is the fastest growing economy among Southeast Asian countries. According to international standards of education, they are far ahead of other countries in mathematics and science.
But by any standard of environmental disaster, this country, especially the southern part of the country, is at serious risk. Vietnam has a long coastline that extends from the northern border with China to the southern border with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. It is 3 thousand 444 kilometers long.
As a result, the coastal areas of Vietnam, China and Thailand are vulnerable. And being close to the sea, tourist centers, entertainment and trade centers as well as economic zones have developed in these areas.
According to estimates of 2024, about 100 million people live in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the economic center of this country. This city is at risk of sinking if nothing is done to stop the sea level from rising.
- Coastal area of China
A quarter of China’s urban coastal land could sink below sea level within 100 years, the study predicts. About 4.3 million people in the country live in vulnerable coastal areas. Ho Chi Minh City, located 60 kilometers from the South China Sea, is also within this risk zone.
- Pattaya, Thailand
Pattaya Beach in Thailand is one of the world’s most popular honeymoon destinations. There about 9.4 million tourists flock every year for the night beauty of this city. A large part of the southern part of Thailand’s capital Bangkok, including Pattaya, may disappear from the world map.
- New Orleans, USA
New Orleans is the most populous city on the banks of the Mississippi River in the US state of Louisiana. It is considered one of the major economic and commercial centers of the United States for the extensive Gulf Coast region.
The city has developed huge markets, including China Town, French Market, Sicilian Market, St. Mary Market. New Orleans is famous as a unique tourist city with the combined efforts of multilingual, multiracial people.
The city was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. At that time more than 80 percent of the region was flooded. Thousands of people died. Many are displaced.
Because of that, the population decreases by 50% in this city within the decade. The city, with over 350,000 residents, is still at serious risk despite some minor natural disasters in the last 20 years.
- Alexandria, Egypt
Alexandria, a city founded 330 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, is also on the list of vulnerable cities. This city is the second-largest city in Egypt, spread over an area of about 32 square kilometers along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Here is the largest seaport in Egypt. And that is exactly why it is a center of industry and commerce. There are also natural gas and oil pipelines through the Suez Canal. More than 6 million people live in this city.
- Basra, Iraq
Basra is an important economic and cultural center among Iraq’s largest cities. This city of 14 million people on the Persian coast is rich in Islamic history and architecture.
Dina Ionesco, an environmental writer, professor at Webster University in Geneva, and senior adviser to the Climate Vulnerable Forum, warns that vulnerable cities will face displacement due to rising sea levels. All sectors starting from business will be affected.
Economic, political, geopolitical, food and medical related unrest and crises are only a matter of time. Even famine or war-like situations may arise. Cities being flooded by rising sea levels is not just an environmental disaster.
