NASA has issued a sinking prediction that by the mid-2030s, all coastal cities in the United States will witness high-tide flooding
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Polar ice caps are melting and shrinking at the rate of 12.6 percent every decade, with almost 95 percent of the oldest and thickest sea ice of the Arctic already gone. The shrinking has brought unprecedented consequences for the Earth's ecosystem, responsible for almost a third of the total rise in water levels since 1993. Triggered by global warming, the melting and the consequent rise in sea levels are predicted to lead to disastrous outcomes by 2030. This is apparent from various reports and warnings issued by agencies worldwide. For instance, NASA has issued a sinking prediction that by the mid-2030s, all coastal cities in the United States will witness high-tide flooding.
The prediction is justifiably alarming, leading to a dawning realisation that humankind is facing a catastrophe of mammoth proportions not so far off in the future. The fact that the sinking is predicted to begin around 2030 is indeed ironic. 2030 is the year when the world aspires to achieve the 2030 Agenda by accomplishing the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) unveiled by the United Nations in 2015 for people, planet, prosperity, partnership, and peace.
[This article has been reproduced with permission from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai. Views expressed by authors are personal.]