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Climate change puts coastal cities at risk

Published : Tuesday, 18 February, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 941
Sanjida Nourin Jhinuk
"My father's grave is underwater now," says 63-year-old Arif, a fisherman in Jakarta whose family has lived on the coast for generations. "The sea took our past, soon it will take our future."

Imagine waking up to find the ocean creeping into your living room and saltwater deeping in your furniture. This is not a scene from a dystopian novel, it is the stark reality for millions living in the world's coastal cities. Streets that once bustled with life are now pathways for floodwaters. Land that generations called home is being swallowed by the sea, and the very foundations of civilization are being tested.

The world's coastlines are changing, reshaped by a crisis we helped create. From New York to Jakarta, from Lagos to Dhaka, cities that have stood for centuries now fight against the rising tide. Our actions-unchecked emissions, deforestation, relentless urban expansion have fueled this crisis, accelerating the destruction of the very places we call home.

While the tides rise, so do the costs of inaction. At COP28, world leaders pledged $700 million to help vulnerable nations cope with climate disasters. But the United Nations estimates that these countries need at least $400 billion annually. The gap is not just a shortfall, it is a betrayal. Offering $700 million to solve a crisis of this magnitude is like handing a Band-Aid to someone bleeding out.

The economic impact of climate inaction is far-reaching. Coastal flooding alone could wipe out $14 trillion from the global economy by 2100. Major trade hubs like Shanghai, Mumbai and Miami are at risk, with the potential to disrupt global supply chains, insurance markets and entire industries. The World Bank predicts that by 2050, climate-driven migration could displace over 140 million people, creating a humanitarian and economic crisis that no nation will escape. Insurance companies are already retreating from coastal markets, leaving homeowners without protection. In Florida, major insurers have pulled out entirely, citing unsustainable losses from hurricanes and flooding. The burden now falls on taxpayers, as governments scramble to provide relief in the aftermath of each new disaster.

The solutions exist, but they demand ambition, not excuses. In Indonesia, 600,000 hectares of mangroves are being restored-a "green wall" that can blunt the force of tsunamis and sequester carbon for centuries. In the Netherlands, engineers have traded concrete barriers for adaptive landscapes, lowering flood risks for 4 million people. Singapore's sponge city design, which integrates green spaces and reservoirs into urban planning, has cut flooding by 70% in just a decade.

The fate of coastal cities is not just about infrastructure or policy, it is about people. It is about families torn between staying or fleeing, about children growing up knowing that their homes may not exist by the time they are adults. It is about a future that is already slipping away unless we fight to reclaim it. We can still act. We can demand stronger climate policies, support green energy, and push for corporate accountability. We can invest in climate adaptation, fund nature-based solutions and ensure that vulnerable communities are not left behind.

The water is already at the door. Will we let it drown our world, or will we rise? We must demand accountability, innovating relentlessly and fighting for a future where coastal cities thrive, not drown.

The writer is an Undergraduate Student, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka


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