The Economic and Social Impacts of Rising Sea Levels on Coastal Communities

Rising sea levels represent one of the most pressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges of the 21st century. Coastal communities around the world are experiencing the accelerating impacts of climate change, with global sea levels rising unexpectedly fast in 2024, recording a rate of 0.59 centimeters instead of the anticipated 0.43 centimeters. This phenomenon threatens not only the physical landscape of coastal regions but also the economic foundations and social fabric of communities that have thrived along shorelines for generations. Understanding the multifaceted impacts of sea level rise is essential for developing effective adaptation strategies and protecting vulnerable populations.

Understanding the Scale of the Challenge

The global scope of sea level rise is staggering. Nearly 600 million people live in coastal zones worldwide, areas which generate approximately US$1 trillion of global wealth. As sea levels continue to rise, these densely populated areas face increasing vulnerability to flooding, erosion, and permanent inundation. The total urban population at risk from sea level rise could number over 800 million people, living in 570 cities, by 2050 if emissions reduction targets are not met.

The rate of sea level rise varies across different coastal regions due to factors including local land subsidence, ocean currents, and gravitational effects from melting ice sheets. Pacific island nations like Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji have been battling rising sea levels for years now and NASA predicts they will experience a further 15cm of sea level rise in the next three decades, even if greenhouse gas emissions are brought under control. These low-lying nations face an existential threat, with some communities potentially becoming uninhabitable within decades.

Economic Impacts on Coastal Communities

Direct Financial Costs and Infrastructure Damage

The economic toll of rising sea levels manifests in multiple ways, from immediate flood damage to long-term infrastructure degradation. Estimates suggest that the global economic costs to cities, from rising seas and inland flooding, could amount to $1 trillion by mid-century. In the Asia-Pacific region alone, expected annual economic damages are projected to rise between $143.7 and $197.8 billion by 2050 just considering sea level rise effects, with further escalation by the century’s end.

Losses for global coastal cities could reach well over $3 trillion by the end of this century as coastal cities grapple with flooding and erosion. These projections underscore the massive financial burden that communities and governments will face without significant adaptation measures. The costs extend beyond immediate flood damage to include repairs to critical infrastructure, business interruptions, and the long-term economic consequences of repeated flooding events.

Rising seas threaten infrastructure, including roads, bridges and buildings, leading to increased costs for maintenance and repair. Coastal infrastructure faces accelerated deterioration from saltwater exposure, requiring more frequent replacement and upgrades. Infrastructure along the coast such as roads, bridges, sewage systems, and power plants may be damaged due to flooding, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion, leading to significant economic costs, disruptions to daily life, and health risks.

Property Value Decline and Real Estate Markets

One of the most significant economic impacts of sea level rise is the effect on property values in vulnerable coastal areas. Housing markets already appear to reflect long-term sea level rise exposure in property prices, indicating that buyers and investors are beginning to factor climate risks into their purchasing decisions.

Research demonstrates substantial property value losses in flood-prone areas. Between 2005 and 2017, there was a total loss of nearly $16 billion in real estate appreciation due to flooding in coastal states from Maine to Texas. This loss often results from slowed property value growth rather than outright decreases, but the cumulative effect over time is substantial.

The impact varies significantly by location and flood risk level. In Carteret County, North Carolina, homes located within the floodplain had a 7.3% lower sale price than homes located outside the floodplain, with homes in higher risk flood zones seeing a greater decrease in sale price than homes in less risky flood zones. Even more dramatically, the average impacted home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi would be worth 49% more if tidal flooding were not a risk.

The depreciation extends beyond directly flooded properties. Homes near roads affected by tidal flooding in Miami-Dade County, Florida lost roughly $3.70 per square foot of value annually between 2005 and 2016. This demonstrates how flood risk affects entire neighborhoods, not just individual properties experiencing direct inundation.

Impacts on Coastal Industries and Livelihoods

Coastal economies depend heavily on industries that are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. Local economies, particularly those that rely on coastal and marine activities such as tourism, fishing, and shipping, may suffer from a change in the availability of resources and potential damage to port infrastructure. These industries form the economic backbone of many coastal communities, and their disruption has cascading effects throughout local and regional economies.

The fishing industry faces multiple challenges from rising seas, including changes to marine ecosystems, loss of coastal access points, and damage to port facilities. Tourism, another major coastal industry, suffers when beaches erode, coastal attractions become inaccessible, and the aesthetic appeal of destinations diminishes. Shipping and port operations face increased costs from more frequent flooding, the need for infrastructure upgrades, and potential relocation of facilities.

As coastal flooding becomes more frequent and severe, it will exacerbate erosion and cause saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, which can compromise drinking water supplies and agricultural productivity. This saltwater intrusion affects not only drinking water but also agricultural lands in coastal regions, reducing crop yields and forcing changes in farming practices or abandonment of previously productive land.

Public Expenditure and Adaptation Costs

Governments at all levels face enormous costs for coastal protection and adaptation measures. In the United States alone, $300 billion in shoreline armoring costs are forecast by 2100. Shoreline armoring is forecast to represent nearly 60% of the roughly $500 billion in US adaptation costs by 2100, highlighting the massive public investment required to protect coastal communities.

The financial burden extends beyond physical infrastructure to include lost tax revenue. The annual loss in tax revenue due to flooding is estimated to be $10.3 billion in the United States. As homes lose value or are destroyed by flooding, the associated property tax revenue disappears, reducing the fiscal capacity of local governments precisely when they need additional resources for adaptation and recovery.

Despite these high costs, investments in flood protection can provide substantial returns. On average every dollar invested in flood protection can save $5-8 in damages with some estimates showing that projects protecting water and waste treatment plants can produce $31 in returns per $1 invested. This cost-benefit ratio demonstrates the economic logic of proactive adaptation, though securing upfront funding remains a significant challenge for many communities.

Displacement and Climate Migration

Rising sea levels are forcing people to leave their homes and communities, creating a new category of climate refugees. The displacement of people living in low-lying areas due to rising seas can lead to social and economic challenges, including loss of property, livelihoods and increased pressure on social services. This displacement is not merely a future concern but an ongoing reality for many coastal communities.

Research in the US has found that almost 1,100 critical buildings in coastal communities could be at risk of monthly flooding by 2050, with some communities potentially becoming unliveable within two to three decades. The prospect of entire communities becoming uninhabitable raises profound questions about where displaced populations will relocate and how receiving communities will accommodate them.

The scale of potential climate migration is enormous. Some projections estimate that up to 216 million people may migrate due to climate change by 2050, with sea level rise being a major driver of this movement. This migration will create significant social and economic challenges for both origin and destination communities, requiring coordinated planning and substantial resources to manage effectively.

Disproportionate Impacts on Vulnerable Populations

The impacts of sea level rise are not distributed equally across society. Low-income families and marginalized communities often face the greatest risks while having the fewest resources to adapt or relocate. These vulnerable populations frequently live in areas with higher flood risk due to lower property costs, and they lack the financial means to invest in property protection or to move to safer locations.

Sea level rise can have vastly uneven effects, not only because water levels are rising faster in some places, but because some communities are more vulnerable to political and economic instability, with inequality worsening in areas that have the least resources to adapt without help. This environmental injustice compounds existing social inequalities and can deepen poverty in already disadvantaged communities.

The social impacts extend beyond immediate displacement to include loss of community cohesion, cultural heritage, and sense of place. For island communities, the loss is more than terrestrial and economic but cultural as well. Communities with deep historical and cultural connections to coastal areas face the prospect of losing not just their homes but their entire way of life and cultural identity.

Health and Safety Concerns

Rising sea levels and increased flooding create numerous public health risks for coastal communities. Flooding and infrastructure damage can lead to public health risks, including exposure to contaminated water and the spread of waterborne diseases, increased risk for mold in homes, and water and electricity outages that can delay or deprive residents’ access to refrigerated medication, medical devices, clean drinking water, air conditioning or heat, and delay or prevent medical treatments.

The mental health impacts of repeated flooding and displacement are also significant, though often overlooked. Communities experiencing chronic flood risk face ongoing stress and anxiety about future events, while those who have been displaced deal with trauma, loss of community connections, and the challenges of rebuilding their lives in new locations.

In areas like Jakarta, the result is inundated homes and a paralysed metropolitan infrastructure; along with increased health hazards due to the spread of garbage-laden and highly polluted water. These conditions create breeding grounds for disease and expose residents to contaminated water, particularly affecting children and elderly populations who are most vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Flooding often disrupts local economies, displaces residents, and damages infrastructure, leading to a decline in the overall desirability of a neighborhood or community. This disruption can fragment communities as residents relocate at different times and to different locations, breaking apart social networks that have developed over generations.

The loss of community amenities, such as schools, parks, and businesses, can have a lasting impact on property values, as prospective buyers consider not only the individual property but also the quality of the surrounding area. As these amenities close or relocate due to flood risk, the remaining community members face reduced quality of life and fewer reasons to stay, potentially accelerating community decline.

Environmental and Ecological Consequences

Coastal Ecosystem Degradation

Sea level rise poses a significant threat to coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and salt marshes, which provide critical habitats for numerous species. These ecosystems serve multiple functions beyond biodiversity conservation, including coastal protection, fisheries support, and carbon sequestration. Their degradation or loss has cascading effects on both natural systems and human communities.

Coastal and marine ecosystems, which provide vital services such as storm protection, biodiversity, and fisheries, can be degraded or lost entirely, with saltwater reaching further inland exposing coastal plants to high amounts of salt, which can damage or kill non-salt tolerant plants, causing a ripple effect that influences the entire ecosystem. This transformation of coastal ecosystems affects not only wildlife but also the human communities that depend on these ecosystems for food, storm protection, and economic activities.

Some ecosystems have an ability to adapt and migrate inland, but are limited by human development and how quickly changes in sea level are happening. Coastal development creates barriers that prevent natural ecosystem migration, trapping these valuable habitats between rising seas and human infrastructure, a phenomenon known as “coastal squeeze.”

Saltwater Intrusion and Water Resources

Below ground, saltwater can seep into freshwater aquifers as sea levels rise, a process known as saltwater intrusion, and if the saltwater mixes with the fresh groundwater, it makes it unusable for drinking and agriculture leading to potential health risks and economic impacts. This contamination of freshwater resources affects both urban water supplies and agricultural irrigation, forcing communities to seek alternative water sources at significant cost.

The impact on agriculture can be particularly severe in coastal regions where farming depends on freshwater aquifers. As these water sources become salinized, farmers must either invest in expensive desalination technology, switch to salt-tolerant crops, or abandon farming altogether. This transformation of agricultural land has economic consequences and can threaten food security in affected regions.

Erosion and Land Loss

Erosion, a naturally occurring process, results in the breaking down of land over time, but rising sea levels can exacerbate coastal erosion as the water reaches higher or further inland, impacting natural habitats and leading to the loss of land and undermining property and infrastructure. This erosion is not gradual and predictable but can accelerate dramatically during storm events, causing sudden and catastrophic land loss.

In the United States, coastal erosion is already responsible for $500 million in annual property loss, and as sea level rise accelerates, so will those figures, because the water will begin to damage very expensive and immovable infrastructure like sewage treatment plants and power stations. The loss of coastal land reduces the buffer zone between the ocean and developed areas, increasing vulnerability to storm surge and flooding.

Comprehensive Adaptation Strategies

Hard Engineering Solutions

Traditional engineering approaches to coastal protection include the construction of seawalls, levees, and flood barriers. These “gray infrastructure” solutions have been the primary response to coastal flooding for decades and continue to play an important role in protecting developed areas. Rising seas can lead to increased costs for coastal protection measures, such as building sea walls and surge barriers, and repairing damage to infrastructure.

However, hard engineering solutions have limitations and can create unintended consequences. Although there are large potential benefits from avoided flood damage behind protective infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay Area, these benefits can come at a cost to other shoreline communities, both nearby and in other parts of the bay, with the increase in baywide inundation volume and external damages from the protection of a single area potentially reaching as large as 36 million m3 and $723 million, respectively. This demonstrates the importance of coordinated regional planning rather than piecemeal local solutions.

The effectiveness of hard infrastructure also depends on proper design and maintenance. Seawalls and levees must be built to withstand not just current conditions but projected future sea levels and storm intensities. This requires significant upfront investment and ongoing maintenance costs that many communities struggle to afford.

Nature-Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions offer an alternative or complement to hard engineering approaches, using natural ecosystems to provide coastal protection while delivering additional environmental and social benefits. The most proactive solutions benefit nature and our economy at the same time, to both slow the impacts of sea level rise and support coastal communities, with the creation of protected areas that safeguard mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes, and even oyster beds also providing recreational opportunities, food, and other local benefits.

Mangroves and wetlands are particularly effective at reducing wave energy and storm surge while providing habitat for fish and wildlife. Watershed management and investments in natural protection like coastal wetlands and mangroves provide additional protection against flooding. These ecosystems can also adapt to rising sea levels by migrating landward if space is available, providing long-term resilience that hard infrastructure cannot match.

Nature-based solutions, such as restoration of barrier islands and wetlands, can help mitigate the impacts of storm surge and potential damage to infrastructure. These approaches often cost less than hard infrastructure while providing multiple co-benefits including improved water quality, enhanced biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. However, they require adequate space and may not be suitable for all locations, particularly highly developed urban coastlines.

Managed Retreat and Land Use Planning

In some cases, the most effective long-term strategy is managed retreat—the planned relocation of people and infrastructure away from high-risk coastal areas. Ideally implemented along with nature-based solutions, managed retreat involves engaging at-risk residents in long-term planning. This approach acknowledges that some areas will become too risky or expensive to protect and focuses resources on facilitating orderly relocation rather than fighting inevitable inundation.

Research using DIVA to examine the spatial heterogeneity in economically efficient adaptation response to rising coastal sea levels finds that it is generally economically efficient to enhance protection of urban areas, and to retreat from rural coastal areas. This suggests that adaptation strategies should be tailored to local conditions, with different approaches appropriate for different types of communities.

Managed retreat faces significant social and political challenges, as it requires people to abandon homes and communities with deep personal and cultural significance. In Dar es Salaam, the response to sea level rise and flooding has been focused on restricting construction in flood-risk areas to reduce the spread of vulnerable informal settlements, with property rights in less vulnerable areas being formalised to incentivise families to evacuate flood-prone neighbourhoods. However, relocated households sometimes sell their formalised properties in the upgraded, climate safe areas, and move back to their neighbourhoods of origin, highlighting the complexity of implementing retreat strategies.

Building Codes and Resilient Infrastructure

Strengthening building codes and designing infrastructure to withstand flooding can significantly reduce damage and protect lives. Many communities participate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) program, which provides reduced flood insurance premiums to communities that go above and beyond the minimum National Flood Insurance Program regulation standards, with many communities requiring a safety factor—also known as freeboard, expressed as feet above the base flood elevation—for construction in special flood hazard areas, earning insurance premium discounts by implementing freeboard and other regulations that exceed the minimum standards.

Elevating structures, using flood-resistant materials, and designing buildings to allow water to flow through lower levels without causing structural damage are all strategies that can reduce flood impacts. Critical infrastructure such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and hospitals require special attention to ensure they can continue operating during and after flood events.

In New Zealand, climate adaptation policies are being designed to ensure public housing is not built near areas prone to climate hazards. This forward-looking approach prevents the creation of new vulnerabilities and reduces future adaptation costs by avoiding development in high-risk areas from the outset.

Early Warning Systems and Emergency Preparedness

Effective early warning systems can save lives and reduce economic losses by providing advance notice of flooding events. These systems integrate weather forecasting, tide monitoring, and flood modeling to predict when and where flooding will occur, allowing communities to evacuate, move valuable assets, and prepare emergency response.

Nationally, high-tide flooding is occurring twice as frequently now as 20 years ago, and it is anticipated that some coastal areas will see high-tide flooding up to 75 days a year by 2050. As flooding becomes more frequent, early warning systems become increasingly important for helping communities manage chronic flood risk and plan daily activities around tidal cycles.

Emergency preparedness extends beyond warning systems to include evacuation planning, emergency shelters, stockpiling of supplies, and coordination among emergency responders. Communities that invest in comprehensive preparedness programs can significantly reduce casualties and speed recovery after flood events.

Hybrid and Integrated Approaches

Findings underscore the urgent need for holistic adaptation measures including grey, green and hybrid solutions, adaptive planning, resilient infrastructure, improved governance systems, alongside mitigation policies to reduce future emissions and consequent flood risks. No single approach is sufficient to address the complex challenges of sea level rise; effective adaptation requires combining multiple strategies tailored to local conditions.

Hybrid approaches might combine seawalls with restored wetlands, or managed retreat from the most vulnerable areas with enhanced protection for critical infrastructure. Each region’s mix of natural features and economic strengths calls for unique strategies. Successful adaptation requires flexibility, ongoing monitoring, and willingness to adjust strategies as conditions change and new information becomes available.

Regional Variations and Case Studies

Small Island Nations

Small island developing states face the most severe existential threat from sea level rise. Atoll nations, including Kiribati, Maldives, RMI and Tuvalu will face the most severe losses relative to GDP. For these nations, adaptation options are limited, and in some cases, the entire population may eventually need to relocate, raising profound questions about national sovereignty, cultural preservation, and international responsibility.

For island communities that rise only a few meters above the water, sea level rise is an existential threat. These communities have contributed minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions yet face the most severe consequences of climate change, highlighting issues of climate justice and the need for international support for adaptation and, potentially, relocation.

Major Coastal Cities

Large coastal cities face unique challenges due to their dense populations, extensive infrastructure, and economic importance. In Miami, the gradual rise in water levels expands inland from Biscayne Bay, affecting extensive low-lying residential areas; in New York, vulnerable zones appear along the edges of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, where modest changes in elevation lead to substantial differences in exposure; and in Charleston, S.C., the maps show how tidal creeks and marshlands amplify risk around the city’s historic peninsula and nearby barrier islands.

Hydrologists estimate that Jakarta has 10 years at hand to halt its submergence, and if not, millions of residents will be displaced, much of the city’s infrastructure will be wiped out and the country’s economy severely impacted. The challenges facing Jakarta illustrate the urgency of adaptation in rapidly growing coastal megacities, particularly in developing countries where resources for adaptation are limited.

Developed vs. Developing Nations

The capacity to adapt to sea level rise varies dramatically between developed and developing nations. Developed nations need to double climate adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year according to the Glasgow Climate Pact, but even if this was achieved, the adaptation finance gap of $187-359 billion per year would only be reduced by 5%, says the United Nations Environment Programme. This massive funding gap means that many vulnerable communities will lack the resources needed for effective adaptation.

Ten countries account for 84% of the population that will be newly exposed to coastal flooding by 2030 — Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, the Philippines, Myanmar, Egypt and the Netherlands. Most of these countries are developing nations with limited financial resources and competing development priorities, making adaptation particularly challenging.

Policy and Governance Considerations

Coordination Challenges

A critical challenge in responding to this threat is that decisions about strategies for adaptation to coastal flooding are often made by individual communities or private entities with limited cross-jurisdictional coordination and at a scale that does not match the hydrodynamic extent of the threat. Coastal flooding does not respect political boundaries, and protection measures in one jurisdiction can affect flood risk in neighboring areas, requiring regional coordination.

Officials in coastal zones, inland areas, and national governments should look for ways to balance resources and safeguard at-risk populations, with findings from research underscoring a critical need for policies that respond to climate pressures while taking regional differences into account. Effective governance requires cooperation across multiple levels of government and coordination among diverse stakeholders with different interests and priorities.

Insurance and Financial Risk Management

More frequent or worse coastal hazards can alter the insurance market, impacting home and business owners. As flood risk increases, insurance premiums rise, and in some high-risk areas, insurance may become unavailable at any price. This creates financial vulnerability for property owners and raises questions about the role of government in providing flood insurance when private markets withdraw.

Properties accounting for about 7 percent of the total value of properties with federally backed mortgages face a risk of flood damage each year in the 2020 period, and among those homes, the total expected damage over 30 years is about 14 percent of the total property value. This exposure creates systemic risk for the financial system, as widespread flood damage could trigger mortgage defaults and threaten the stability of government-backed mortgage programs.

International Cooperation and Climate Justice

Representatives from small-island and low-lying countries came together for the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-Level Week in 2024, which for the first time featured a dedicated meeting on Sea Level Rise to address this urgent issue. International forums provide opportunities for vulnerable nations to voice their concerns and seek support from the international community.

Climate justice considerations are central to sea level rise policy, as the nations and communities most affected have typically contributed least to the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. Developed nations have both a moral obligation and a practical interest in supporting adaptation in vulnerable countries, as climate-driven migration and instability can have global consequences.

The Path Forward: Integrated Solutions and Urgent Action

Addressing these impacts requires comprehensive adaptation strategies to protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems. The challenge of sea level rise demands action on multiple fronts simultaneously: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit future sea level rise, implementing adaptation measures to protect existing communities, and planning for managed retreat from the most vulnerable areas.

The situation is exacerbated by a growing trend of coastal population density, which puts immense pressure on governments to develop and implement effective adaptation strategies. As more people move to coastal areas, the stakes continue to rise, making urgent action increasingly critical.

Successful adaptation requires not just technical solutions but also social and political will. Communities must engage in difficult conversations about which areas to protect, which to abandon, and how to support those who must relocate. Integrating community knowledge into city-level adaptation plans allows cities to capitalise on residents’ existing knowledge and experience of flood impacts, without having to spend additional government funds on external expertise and costly risk assessments.

The associated risks suggest a need for developing methodologies and models to assess damage costs in coastal areas as a basis for decision-making on climate change adaptation, with the accuracy of damage cost estimates being critical in cost-effective decision-making on adaptation measures, reflecting climate hazards, flood levels, and associated damage costs. Better data and modeling tools can help communities make informed decisions about where and how to invest limited adaptation resources.

Key Recommendations for Coastal Communities

Conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments using the best available science and high-resolution data to understand local flood risks and identify critical infrastructure and populations at risk
Develop integrated adaptation plans that combine gray infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and land use planning tailored to local conditions and priorities
Strengthen building codes and zoning regulations to prevent new development in high-risk areas and ensure that new construction can withstand flooding
Invest in nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration, mangrove protection, and living shorelines that provide multiple benefits including coastal protection, habitat, and carbon sequestration
Implement early warning systems and emergency preparedness programs to protect lives and reduce economic losses from flood events
Engage communities in adaptation planning to ensure that solutions reflect local knowledge, values, and priorities, and to build support for difficult decisions about retreat and relocation
Coordinate across jurisdictions to address the regional nature of coastal flooding and avoid adaptation measures that simply shift risk to neighboring communities
Secure adequate funding through diverse sources including federal and state grants, local bonds, public-private partnerships, and international climate finance
Monitor and adapt strategies over time as sea levels continue to rise and new information becomes available about risks and effective solutions
Address equity concerns to ensure that vulnerable populations are protected and that adaptation does not worsen existing social inequalities

Conclusion: A Challenge Requiring Immediate and Sustained Action

Rising sea levels pose one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century, threatening the economic stability and social fabric of coastal communities worldwide. The impacts are already being felt and will intensify in coming decades regardless of future emissions reductions, making adaptation an urgent necessity rather than a future concern.

The economic costs are staggering, with trillions of dollars in potential damages to property, infrastructure, and economic activity. Property values in vulnerable areas are already declining, coastal industries face disruption, and governments must invest heavily in protection measures while simultaneously losing tax revenue from devalued properties. The social impacts are equally profound, with millions of people facing displacement, vulnerable populations bearing disproportionate burdens, and entire communities potentially becoming uninhabitable.

Yet the challenge is not insurmountable. A range of adaptation strategies exists, from traditional engineering solutions to nature-based approaches and managed retreat. The most effective response will combine multiple strategies tailored to local conditions, implemented through coordinated governance across jurisdictions, and supported by adequate funding and political will. Investments in adaptation can provide substantial returns, with every dollar spent on flood protection potentially saving multiple dollars in avoided damages.

The window for action is narrowing. Communities that act now to assess their vulnerabilities, develop comprehensive adaptation plans, and begin implementing solutions will be better positioned to protect their residents, economies, and ways of life. Those that delay will face increasingly difficult choices and higher costs as sea levels continue to rise and impacts intensify.

Ultimately, addressing sea level rise requires both mitigation to limit future warming and adaptation to manage unavoidable impacts. The international community must work together to support vulnerable nations, share knowledge and resources, and ensure that the burden of adaptation does not fall disproportionately on those least responsible for causing the problem. The challenge is global, but the solutions must be implemented locally, with each community taking action appropriate to its unique circumstances while contributing to collective resilience.

For more information on coastal adaptation strategies, visit the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. To understand your local flood risk, explore FEMA’s flood mapping resources. Learn about nature-based coastal protection solutions at the Nature Conservancy. For global perspectives on sea level rise impacts and responses, see resources from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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