🧵🧪In general this opinion piece conveys an important and urgent message, but it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how rising sea level increases coastal flood risk. The Guardian view on rising sea levels: adaptation has never been more urgent | Editorial www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - ThreadSky

polarrobs.bsky.social • 28 days ago

🧵🧪In general this opinion piece conveys an important and urgent message, but it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how rising sea level increases coastal flood risk.

The Guardian view on rising sea levels: adaptation has never been more urgent | Editorial https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/25/the-guardian-view-on-rising-sea-levels-adaptation-has-never-been-more-urgent?CMP=share_btn_url

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polarrobs.bsky.social•28 days ago

The statement “In England, a 1-metre rise would see large parts of the Fens and Humberside below sea level – and thus underwater” is a gross oversimplification, and in fact incorrect. Large areas in those two regions are already below mean sea level, but they are not underwater.

polarrobs.bsky.social•28 days ago

An important thing to understand is that places can start to be affected by coastal flooding long before mean sea level rises above them. Flooding events start occurring when the highest tides boosted by storm surges breach sea defences.

polarrobs.bsky.social•28 days ago

The main way that rising sea levels affect coastal flooding is by reducing the recurrence interval between times when those extreme events overcome sea defences. A relatively small rise turns the once a century event into a once a decade one, and similar further rise can make it an annual occurrence

dr-john-von-pi.bsky.social•27 days ago

The Dutch Govt. agency Rijkswaterstaat, which supervises waterworks (incl. dykes) seems to be convinced that the Dutch sea dykes can be adapted to around 5m #SeaLevelRise.
Your post suggests that’s overly optimistic. IMHO that’s also the case, because the height of tides is highly dynamic.

polarrobs.bsky.social•27 days ago

From what I hear the Rijkswaterstaat has a more forward looking and coherent approach than any I am aware of in the UK. Sea dykes can be adapted to any level of rise if you're willing to invest enough, but defending everywhere would be very bad for wildlife.

jowilliams.bsky.social•28 days ago

Very much this, especially where we have a big tidal range. And the time window to let rivers drain during low tide.

judeet44.bsky.social•28 days ago

Not to mention the gradual ingress of salt water below ground, affecting any fresh water and eventually crops and vegetation.

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