Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 5.9 Climate drivers of impacts on vulnerable regions (Arctic, coasts) and sectors (transportation,
energy, and buildings).
In the Arctic, protective shore ice is forming later in the year and break-
ing up earlier, allowing autumn storms to batter the unprotected coasts,
eroding the coastline and endangering its inhabitants (ACIA, 2005). Travel
over frozen ground has been cut from 7 to 4 months per year, isolating
many communities (USGCRP, 2009). Under an approximate global average
temperature change of 2°C, melting of the continuous permafrost area in the
Arctic characterizes infrastructure across nearly half of the Arctic land area
as “high risk” and significant proportions of Arctic coastline as susceptible
to significant erosion (ACIA, 2005).
At the same time, however, decreasing sea ice in the Arctic could open
the Northern Sea Route, greatly reducing the distance required to transport
goods between Asia, North America, and Europe. Under the same 2°C
global temperature increase, the navigation season could last up to 3 months
per year before the end of the century (ACIA, 2005).
Coastlines
Low-lying coastal delta areas, many of them home to mega-cities and
other densely populated areas, are also at risk. Impacts from coastal erosion
and flooding can be driven by sea level rise and storm surge as well as by
land-use decisions and other processes characteristic of, and which can
