Kolkata, Chennai and other Asian megacities at risk due to rising sea level

• New climate study has revealed that sea level rises will affect certain Asian megacities by 2100
• Kolkata, Chennai, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila are at risk
• The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change

Sea level rises this century may disproportionately affect certain Asian megacities as well as western tropical Pacific islands and the western Indian Ocean, according to new research. The research team identified several Asian megacities that may face especially significant risks by 2100 if society continued to emit high levels of greenhouse gases: Chennai, Kolkata, Yangon, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.

The study looked at the effects of natural sea-level fluctuations on the projected rise due to climate change, it said. It did so by mapping sea-level hotspots around the globe. The study is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Scientists have long known that sea levels will rise with increasing ocean temperatures, largely because water expands when it warms and melting ice sheets release more water into the oceans.

Studies have also indicated that sea level rise will vary regionally because shifts in ocean currents will likely direct more water to certain coastlines, including the northeastern United States.