Media: rising sea levels threaten major oil ports with flooding
The world’s largest oil ports, including those in the US and Saudi Arabia, could be flooded due to rising sea levels caused by climate change, The Guardian newspaper reports, citing a scientific study
The analysis showed that 13 ports with the highest tanker traffic would be severely affected by a sea level rise of just 1m. The researchers said that two low-lying ports in Saudi Arabia, Ras Tanura and Yanbu, through which 98 percent of the country’s oil exports go, are particularly vulnerable. The list also included the oil ports of Houston and Galveston in the US, as well as ports in the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and the Netherlands.
Scientists say this threat is ironic because it is the burning of fossil fuels that causes global warming. They note that reducing emissions by switching to renewable energy sources will help stop global warming.
The latest scientific data released by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) shows that a 1m rise in sea level is inevitable within a century and could occur as early as 2070 if ice sheets collapse and emissions are not curbed. At the same time, experts estimate that an even more catastrophic rise of 3m could occur as soon as the early 2100s.
ICCI chief scientist James Kirkham warned that unless leaders redouble their efforts to phase out fossil fuels, the dire consequences of sea level rise will only increase, affecting all countries with coastlines, including those that continue to hinder decarbonisation efforts.