Researchers from the Hebrew University reveal the expected damage to the settlements along the coast following the rise in sea level

Forecasts predict that by the end of the 21st century, the sea level will rise by about 0.2 to 1.5 m, and this may cause severe damage to coastal areas and wide-ranging ecological and socioeconomic effects," the researchers warn. The sensitive settlements: Haifa, Acre and Jasr al-Zarqa

Global warming poses many threats to humanity, one of the most dangerous of which is the rise in sea level as a result of the melting of glaciers and an increase in the temperature of ocean water. Now, a new study by researchers from the Hebrew University assesses for the first time the damage that rising sea levels could cause to settlements located along the Israeli coastal strip.

According to the authors of the study, Prof. Daniel Felzenstein and Dr. Michal Leichter from the Department of Geography at the Hebrew University, starting from the 20th century the sea level rose at a rapid rate of nearly two millimeters per year, and the trend is expected to continue throughout the 21st century. "Forecasts predict that by the end of the 21st century the sea level will rise by about 0.2 to 1.5 m and this could cause severe damage to coastal areas and wide-ranging ecological and socio-economic effects," warn the researchers.

In their research, the two used geographic information systems (GIS) in order to calculate the expected flood areas according to the different land uses according to municipal authorities along the coast. The work was based on several possible scenarios of the water level rise.
The study found that a one and a half meter rise in sea level would flood 27 square kilometers of the Mediterranean coast. The study also shows that even if the scenario is milder and a rise of only half a meter applies, 10 square kilometers of coastal areas will be flooded, while an extreme rise of two meters will flood no less than 33 square kilometers. And what are the settlements most sensitive to flooding in this scenario? The researchers note that this is the city of Haifa which is expected to lose 7.5 square kilometers, which is 12.5% ​​of its area, Acre which is expected to lose 11.2% and Jasr al-Zarqa (9.7%).

The researchers also examined the effects of extreme scenarios such as a tsunami wave hitting Israel. According to the findings, a tsunami wave with a height of 6 meters will flood 2.2 km of the city of Nahariya (22.3% of its area) and 14 square kilometers of Haifa (23.5% of its area). In this scenario, the extent of residential areas at risk of flooding is 1.2 and 3.5 square kilometers respectively.

The research was carried out as part of the SECOA project funded by the European Union and deals with the sensitivity and vulnerability of coastal areas.