Airport Runways Underwater: Rising Seas Threaten 80 Airports (Maps)
Credit to Author: World Resources Institute| Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2020 03:00:55 +0000
Published on February 4th, 2020 | by World Resources Institute
February 4th, 2020 by World Resources Institute
“While global climate-related threats like droughts, wildfires and biodiversity loss get a lot of attention (and rightfully so), one problem is quietly creeping up on us, and it could have disastrous consequences,” Mansie Hough at the World Resources Institute (WRI) recently wrote in an email to CleanTechnica.
“Even if we get emissions under control and temperature rise is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, about half a meter of sea level rise is likely by 2100 – and this would put 44 airports around the world underwater, according to new analysis of sea level rise data from Resource Watch. This poses serious economic, public health and security threats to the countries whose airports are affected.”
Some of these at-risk airports include:
Hough added, “Below is a blog from Resource Watch giving more details on which airports are most likely to flood and when. If you’d like to explore more on your own, (using Climate Central data) shows the areas around the world most likely to be affected by sea level rise, and I can share a spreadsheet of every airport in the world that would be threatened by half a meter of sea level rise.”
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Airports are a major part of a country’s infrastructure. They encourage economic activities, facilitate travel, and play a key role in national security. But they are also vulnerable to , especially when they are established in low-lying coastal areas.
関空の滑走路、海でした。 pic.twitter.com/h7Wg9T8jE3
— 小畑 タカユキ🌴🍺👕⚽🥊 (@kobatatakayuki) September 4, 2018
Using sea level rise data from and airport locations from , we found that 80 airports could be underwater with , which researchers at the UN’s expert climate panel predict is likely to occur by 2100 if emissions aren’t reduced. Even if emissions are curtailed and warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, about half a meter of sea level rise is likely by the , which would flood 44 airports around the world.
The reason airports are threatened by sea level rise is simple: many of them capitalize on low, flat areas, which are required for long runways to facilitate takeoff and landing. Airplanes need room to gain altitude, which they can easily do over bodies of water without needing to worry about tall buildings. This type of space is typically found near large bodies of water – on – areas that are especially susceptible to sea level rise and storm surge. Building airports near bodies of water started off as an advantage but is now quickly becoming a liability due to climate change.
Airports are at risk all over the world, but the highest number of affected airports are in North America, Europe, and Asia. The images below show the impact that half a meter and one meter of sea level rise would have on select airports.
Six airports in North America could be underwater with just half a meter of sea level rise. This figure increases to 12 at one meter of sea level rise and includes airports such as Key West International Airport and Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport.
Key West International Airport, located in Florida, has between 50 and 60 commercial airline flights each day and registered 870,000 passengers in 2018, according to its website. The visual below shows the impact of expected flooding on this airport with both half a meter and one meter of sea level rise.
In California, the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport averages 209 aircraft operations a day and has 127 aircrafts based at the airport. Located near the Salton Sea, this airport would be completely flooded with only half a meter of sea level rise.
Within Europe, 11 airports are at risk of being underwater with half a meter of sea level rise, and 23 are at risk if sea level rise reaches one meter.
Amsterdam’s Airport Schiphol is the and is predicted to be underwater with only half a meter of sea level rise. However, it’s important to caveat that while Climate Central maps show areas below certain sea-levels, they do not take into account flood barriers and other water management technologies implemented in the Netherlands. The Dutch have particularly strong , such as by building dikes, seawalls, and underground spaces where water can sit in the event of flooding. These measures, which are not reflected in the maps developed by Climate Central, are designed to mitigate flood impact on infrastructure and require a significant investment in water-management technologies.
Another European airport at risk from just half a meter of sea level rise is Denmark’s Kalundborg Airport. The map below shows the location of airport overlaid with half a meter of sea level rise.
Seven of Asia’s airports are at risk from half a meter of sea level rise, and 14 are at risk from one meter of sea level rise, including China’s Yancheng Airport and Iran’s Ramsar International Airport.
Yancheng Airport, seen below, could be flooded by only half a meter of sea level rise. This airport, located in Jiangsu Province, China, is a hub for both commercial and international flights, and averages 44 flights a day.
Ramsar International Airport is situated on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Half a meter of sea level rise would flood part of Ramsar Airport’s runways.
While 80 airports would be inundated with one meter of sea level rise, climate change poses threats to even more airports in the form of storm surge and extreme weather. We are already getting a taste of what this will look like. In the New York area alone, LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Newark (N.J.) International Airport from nearby water bodies during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. This flooding caused and in lost revenue.
And it’s not just the United States. Airports around the world are under threat from storm surges and rising seas. For example, in September 2018, Kansai International Airport in Japan became in the aftermath of a typhoon. Natural disasters like these demonstrate what may be the new normal for airports once the rising waters of climate change become more permanent.
As the implications of sea level rise are becoming more understood, many are acting to protect airports in the near-term. Singapore’s Changi airport has recently resurfaced its runways to allow for better drainage and is building . In the United States, Boston Logan Airport and San Francisco International Airport have worked to install to stave off rising seas. Just last month [TK], officials at San Francisco International Airport decided to move ahead with a to build up the airport’s seawall from three feet to eight feet tall.
Sea level rise is only one aspect of climate change that threatens air travel. Extreme heat, which comes with thinner air, has the by making them , and also may make air travel .
Explore other sectors and how they will be affected by climate change on .
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World Resources Institute is a global research organization that spans more than 50 countries, with offices in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, and the United States. Our more than 450 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action to sustain our natural resources—the foundation of economic opportunity and human well-being. Find out more at www.wri.org