Abstract

Instrumental and geological records indicate that the rise in the global sea level has been accelerating since the beginning of the twentieth century due to ocean thermal expansion and the melting of the cryosphere. Future sea level increase will depend on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the next decades, although geological evidence shows that it will continue to rise for the next millennia due to complex temperature and gas transport mechanisms in the ocean. Furthermore, anthropogenic activities on the coastal area are also exacerbating the effects of sea level rise. Coastal communities and environments are increasingly vulnerable to a rising sea level, and a climate-resilient human society needs to integrate local and regional adaptation measures.