Earlier this weekend I posted a story about the impacts of rising sea level on water supplies in Miami. This week’s question from the Georgia Climate Project Roadmap addresses how rising sea level will affect coastal Georgia. This will include not only water supplies along the coast, but livelihoods of those who catch crab and shrimp and those who run tourist establishments. You can read all of the Roadmap questions at https://roadmap.georgiaclimateproject.org/.
14. How will sea level rise and flooding affect the economy of coastal Georgia?
Why this question is important: Sea level rise and the associated increased frequency of coastal flooding due to decreased efficiency of stormwater management systems during high tides is already impacting coastal communities in Georgia (Evans et al. 2016). To adequately plan for adaptation strategies and investment, reliable data are needed on the increased risk associated with flooding and storm events at local levels, including economic effects on sectors such as tourism and recreation, fisheries and aquaculture, real estate values, and the price of property insurance. Communities will also need to know how flooding will influence critical infrastructure such as ports, roads, health care facilities, and government buildings, as well as construction of new residential and commercial centers.
