Thousands of Kenyans living along the Coast could be forced to move in 20 years by rising seawaters caused by global warming.
A report to be released today says the sea level rise is unstoppable because the world is unable to control rising temperatures. The grim prognosis was given by a team of scientists convened by the UN to explain what should be done to keep global temperature increases to not more than 1.5 degrees Celsius — and what that would mean for the planet.
“Globally, the poorest people are projected to experience the impacts of 1.5°C global warming predominantly through increased food prices, food insecurity and hunger, income losses, lost livelihood opportunities, adverse health impacts and population displacements,” a draft of the report says.
The final report is to be released in South Korea today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — a group of climate researchers convened by the UN.
While the report does not mention Kenya by name, it validates several studies that show vast Coastal areas, including parts of Mombasa city, will be submerged in seawater from 2040 if global warming continues. A warming of the earth leads directly to rising sea levels by melting large ice sheets. Thi sadding adds water to the oceans.