Coastal Living – A Growing Global Threat

One person in 10 worldwide, including one in eight city-dwellers, live less than 10 metres above sea-level and near the coast – an "at-risk zone" for flooding and stronger storms exacerbated by climate change, a new study reveals.

The research, led by Gordon McGranahan at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, UK, is the first ever to map the location of low, coastal urban centres around the world. "These are areas where the risk of sea-level rise and stronger storms needs to be taken seriously," says McGranahan.