The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (250 words)

Drivers

Thermal expansion, glacier and ice-sheet melt, land subsidence and changing ocean circulation raise relative sea level. Local exposure can exceed the global mean.

Impacts on India

• Inundation and erosion threaten low-lying coasts, deltas and islands, including the Sundarbans, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery systems.
• Saltwater intrusion harms groundwater, agriculture and drinking water; storm surges and cyclones become more damaging.
• Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and other coastal settlements face risks to ports, roads, power, housing, tourism and industries, producing displacement and livelihood loss.
• Mangroves, coral reefs, beaches and nursery habitats may cross ecological thresholds.

Indian Ocean region

• Small island states such as Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius face land loss, freshwater salinisation, coral stress and possible displacement.
• Bangladesh’s delta, Sri Lanka’s coast, Pakistan’s Indus delta, Myanmar’s lowlands and East African shores face food, health, infrastructure and migration pressures.

Response

Combine emissions mitigation with climate-resilient infrastructure, managed retreat where necessary, mangrove restoration, early warnings, resilient water systems, regional finance and loss-and-damage support.

Keywords

thermal expansion; saltwater intrusion; storm surge; blue carbon; climate migration