Look what’s swelling the sea

GROUNDWATER is becoming important to sustain agriculture, industry and drinking water. But as we exploit aquifers, more water becomes part of the hydrological cycle. A recent study shows evaporation and precipitation of groundwater is responsible for a fourth of the annual sea level rise of 3.1 mm.

South Asia

Bangladesh tackles risk of submergence: Bangladesh plans to build three dams to save itself from getting submerged.

Sharper divide

SEA level is rising, but only in parts of oceans.

Tides batter Elephanta

Initially, residents of the Elephanta island near Mumbai were not bothered by erosion of paddy fields by sea waves. They had a secure income from tourism.

In ocean’s way

Sadanand Tandel’s house is the dream of every tourist. A terrific sea view, waving coconut fronds and in a few dozen steps one can walk into the sea waves. Through Tandel’s eyes, however, the view is somber.

Sedimental attraction

Deltas  around the world are either eroding or have stopped progressing. Climate change, sea level rise, flood management measures take the blame. Since a delta is formed where a river meets a standing body of water, there is talk about diverting more water and sediments into the bay to save the ones drowning, such as the Mississippi delta.

India, Bangladesh to save Sunderbans

New delhi and Dhaka have joined hands to protect the Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove forests spread across West Bengal in India and Bangladesh.

According to report

1.4m sea level rise by 2100: West Antarctica is losing ice sheets faster than thought. This could result in a sea level rise of up to 1.4 metres by 2100, said a report by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Scientists had long held that the polar continents permafrost was resistant to global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change did not factor melting ice sheets in its forecast of 28-43 cm sea level rise by 2100. West Antarctica alone would add tens of centimetres to the sea level.

Mumbye

The financial capital of India could face damages worth Rs 35,00,000 crore by 2050 because of climate change. Between 1901 and 2007, it registered a mean temperature rise of 1.62C. The sea level around the island city is rising by 2.4 mm every year. Together they would unleash a chain of disasters flash floods, disease outbreaks, building collapses, dislocation and death Downpour unleashed

South Asia

green tax: The Maldives said it would impose a green tax on tourists to pay for environmental protection of the low-lying archipelago and also revive the it's economy. The country is threatened by rising sea levels blamed on global warming. The new tax of US $3 is expected to yield US $21 million a year. President Mohamed Nasheed said the amount is unlikely to put off tourists. Tourism is the economic lifeline of the Maldives, famous for atolls, lagoons and tropical marine life.