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New Zealand sea level rising more quickly than forecast: data
The sea level is rising twice as fast as previously forecast around parts of New Zealand.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference in February 2020. (Reuters/Loren Elliott)
T
he sea level is rising twice as fast as previously forecast around parts of New Zealand, according to research published Monday, putting the country's two largest cities at risk decades earlier than expected.
Government-backed data amassed from around the country's coastline found some areas are already sinking three to four millimeters per year, speeding up a long-expected threat.
The projections, labeled "a bit terrifying" by one expert, are the result of an extensive five-year, government-funded research program -- NZ SeaRise -- that was the combined work of dozens of local and international scientists.
Their prognosis means authorities have much less time than expected to introduce climate adaptation plans, including relocating coastal communities.
NZ SeaRise co-leader Tim Naish, a professor at Wellington's Victoria University, said while the global sea level is expected to rise about half a meter by 2100, for substantial parts of New Zealand it could be closer to a meter because the land is sinking at the same time.
It is stark news for the capital city, Wellington, which could expect 30 centimeter sea level rise by 2040 -- a level that had not been expected before 2060.
With that rate of rise, Wellington residents can expect once-a-century flood damage every year on average.
