Did you know, tropical cyclones and floods are among the most common natural disasters? Although the occurrence and severity of these events can vary depending on the location, climate, and historical periods, we know they've increased in number and have been more extreme in the last decades due to climate change. But in this project, we'll not only talk about how water disasters have damaged us, but also discuss more in depth about water acidification, and how it has damaged corals, the sea level rise, and the increase of heat in oceans.
There is a close relationship between climate change and water disasters, as it influences directly on the Earth's hydrological cycle. Rising temperatures make water evaporate faster, changing the natural precipitation patterns and contributing to extreme rainfall events or, on the opposite, drought conditions. Nevertheless, in this project, we'll focus on how climate change contributes to rising sea levels, increased flooding, and the damage caused by tropical cyclones.
The combination of intense rainfall, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels can lead to a higher risk of flooding in coastal areas and river basins. But not only that, apart from affecting us, rising temperatures affect other species, such as shellfish, corals, marine fish, and mammals, their entire ecosystem, and their ecological relationships.
Here, you'll find and learn a few facts on water disasters through illustrations, text, and graphs.
FLOOD RISK - Rentschler, Jun, et al. “Flood Exposure and Poverty in 188 Countries.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 28 June 2022, www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30727-4.
OCEAN HEAT- Lindsey, Rebecca, and Dahlman, Luann. “Climate Change: Ocean Heat Content.” NOAA Climate.Gov, 17 Aug. 2020, www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-ocean-heat-content.
SEA LEVEL RISE- McVeigh, K. “It’s absolutely guaranteed”: The best and worst case scenarios for sea level rise. The Guardian, 23 Jun 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/26/its-absolutely-guaranteed-the-best-and-worst-case-scenarios-for-sea-level-rise.
CORAL - Hancock, Lorin. “Everything You Need to Know about Coral Bleaching-and How We Can Stop It.” WWF, www.worldwildlife.org/pages/everything-you-need-to-know-about-coral-bleaching-and-how-we-can-stop-it.
FLOODS - “Floods.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/health-topics/floods#tab=tab_1.
USA - Garamone, Jim. “Biden Signs National Defense Authorization Act into Law.” U.S. Department of Defense, 23 Dec. 2022, www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3252968/biden-signs-national-defense-authorization-act-into-law/.
USA - “President Biden’s FY 2023 Budget Reduces Energy Costs, Combats the Climate Crisis, and Advances Environmental Justice.” The White House, 28 Mar. 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2022/03/28/president-bidens-fy-2023-budget-reduces-energy-costs-combats-the-climate-crisis-and-advances-environmental-justice/.
USA - Smith, Adam B. “2023: A Historic Year of U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters.” NOAA Climate.Gov, 8 Jan. 2024, www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/beyond-data/2023-historic-year-us-billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters#:~:text=There%20were%2028%20weather%20and,of%20at%20least%20%2492.9%20billion.
Every contribution made to this campaign will directly benefit the Coral Reef Alliance, to help them with their mission to “work at local, regional, and global levels to keep coral reefs healthy, so they can adapt to climate change and survive for generations to come."