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Habitat loss doubles flood impact: study
REMOVING mangroves, marshes, reefs, forests, dunes and other natural defences doubles the risk for life and property from coastal floods, a US climate study says.
In the most detailed analysis of the risks facing Americans from rising seas, researchers led by Katie Arkema at Stanford University in California built a computer model of coasts in the continental United States.
The huge program factored in population statistics, residential property values, natural defences and flooding probability on a scale of one square kilometre.
“Today, 16 per cent of the US coastline comprises ‘high hazard’ areas harbouring 1.3 million people, (including) 250,000 elderly (and) 30,000 families below the poverty line, and $US300 billion ($A330 billion) in residential property value,” the study said.
This estimate is for current sea levels and for the current state of natural buffers against floods.
Strip away this protection in order to build on the land, and the number of people and the value of property at high risk roughly doubles.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/wor…z2Z2wkjkA9
Source: http://yeoldefalseflag.com/thread-habitat-loss-doubles-flood-impact-study
