According to a study of American satellite data, reported by 'Le Soir' on Wednesday, Belgium is ranked tenth country most threatened by rising sea levels, mainly the result of global warming. The study claims that at the end of this century 619,000 people in Belgium will be living in areas that will be below sea level. And if the sea starts to rise at an even faster pace, 660,000 people will be living in areas at risk.
Based on the hypothesis of sea level rising by 30cm, the Flemish region has already launched a €300 million comprehensive plan to consolidate the coastline with the construction of sea walls and flood plains, as well as protective mobile installations.
According to the study, based on data from US geological surveys and data from the Topex/Poseidon satellite managed by NASA and the French space agency CNES, at the end of the century 2.6% of the world population, i.e. about 177 million people - 146 in Asia, 17 in Europe and 5 in North America - will be living in an area likely to see "chronic flooding". And as the study shows, the countries which are the most exposed to the effects of global warming are not necessarily the most responsible.
(Source: Belga)
