Sea - Climate

One person in 10 worldwide, including one in eight city-dwellers, lives less than 10 metres above sea-level near the coast - an "at-risk" zone for flooding and stronger storms exacerbated by climate change, a new study reveals. The research led by Gordon McGranahan at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, UK, is the first ever to map the location of low, coastal urban centers around the world. These are areas where the risk of sea-level rise and stronger storms needs to be taken seriously," says McGranahan. In February 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a consortium of about 4000 international climate scientists, said that sea levels were likely to rise by up to 59 centimetres by the end of the 21st century if fossil fuel consumption and economic growth continue unabated. According to the passage, why are low coastal cities so dangerous?