Rising water levels are a very present problem in the United States and will continue to be one for the foreseeable future. Estimates say coastal cities will need to spend $60 billion dollars by 2050. Even though the effects aren’t fully visual yet, they will eventually be very prominent when the 40% of Americans who live in coastal areas and cities are forced to relocate. This would more densely populate the United States whose population is already increasing yearly. Not only that but also Scientific American says that by that 2050, $35 billion dollars worth of real estate would be underwater.

Countries are already dealing with rising water levels, such as Egypt. Although rising sea levels aren’t a problem in Egypt they have handled rising water levels for the last few decades. Rising water levels have plagued the pyramids physically and economically. Rising water erodes the pyramids, damaging the age-old structure. Over the last five years, Egypt has taken steps to stop the problem as they recognized the consequences that urbanization was having on the pyramids and the economy. They started sectioning off the land surrounding the pyramids to provide irrigation and installing pumps to get rid of the water. Egypt is an example of a country that saw a problem and took the time and resources to solve it.

While there is still time for the U.S., coastal areas should make new buildings flood proof by having important technology and things in the higher stories, and build at higher elevations. They also should install seawalls and levees on the coastline, and in the city having more drains and greenspace. In conclusion, this problem seems far away, but even in western Massachusetts will we will the affects soon.

David Galvin

Northampton

 

 

 

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