UN warns of rising seas, storm surges

  1. A draft Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has warned that rising global ocean waterline could displace 250 million people by 2100.
  2. The report further noted that there could be a hundred-fold or more increase in the damages caused by superstorms.
  3. It noted that cryosphere has been damaged by man-made warming, with ice sheets shedding more than 400 billion tonnes in mass each year. The cryosphere is the frozen water part of the Earth system.
  4. Also, at least 30% of the northern hemisphere’s surface permafrost could melt by end of 21st century if global emissions remain unchecked.
  5. The IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. It provides policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks. It also puts forward adaptation and mitigation options