Scientists warn that 100 million buildings could be submerged underwater in a terrifying new study.
As climate change continues to threaten our planet, wildlife and humanity, alarming new research reveals the potential fate of millions of people's homes worldwide.
Canadian researchers have estimated the number of buildings across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America (also known as the Global South) that would be flooded under different sea level changes.
Their findings suggest rising sea levels could submerge over 100 million buildings by 2100.
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According to the study, sea level rises of just 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) would flood three million buildings in the Global South alone.
If emissions aren't cut soon, sea levels could rise by over 16 feet (five metres) in the next century, putting up to a sixth of all buildings in the Global South at risk.
The worrying part is that the researchers at McGill University in Montreal say that much of this damage is now unavoidable. Even if Paris Agreement targets are met, sea level rises of up to three feet (0.9 metres) will likely flood five million buildings before the end of the century.
"Sea level rise is a slow, but unstoppable consequence of warming that is already impacting coastal populations and will continue for centuries," said Professor Natalya Gomez, co-author of the study. "People often talk about sea level rising by tens of centimetres, or maybe a metre, but in fact it could continue to rise for many metres if we don't quickly stop burning fossil fuels."
While the research focused on the Global South, the team created a flooding projection map of the world.
In their first large-scale, building-by-building assessment, researchers combined high-resolution satellite imagery with elevation data.
This enabled them to estimate building inundation under various scenarios, from 1.6 feet (0.5 metres) to 65 feet (20 metres) of sea level rise.
The flooding map shows certain UK coastal towns like Great Yarmouth permanently underwater, while vast areas of cities like London fall below the high tide mark. Meanwhile, in London, tidal flooding would reach as far as Peckham in the south and Barking in the north.
"We all rely on goods, foods and fuels that pass through ports and coastal infrastructure exposed to sea level rise," explained Professor Eric Galbraith, another study co-author. "Disruption of this essential infrastructure could play havoc with our globally interconnected economy and food system."
As temperatures rise, sea levels increase due to the melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers, and water in the oceans expands. As a result, the scientists predict that millions of buildings will be permanently submerged, with countless more located within the high-tide zone.
Co-author Professor Jeff Cardile described: "We were surprised at the large number of buildings at risk from relatively modest long-term sea level rise."