Ivory Coast: Abidjan floods kill at least 7

Floods

At least seven people have died between Wednesday and Thursday following floods that have soaked the Ivorian capital Abidjan. Ivorian firefighters said on Friday that the deaths were mainly caused by collapsing walls following the heavy rains that pounded the capital.

According to the commander of the fire brigade, several dozen people have been evacuated from their homes, following the intense downpour that has also has caused extensive damage in several neighbourhoods.

Heavy rains are common during this time of the year in Ivory Coast. In 2016, they claimed the lives of sixteen people while in 2014, 39 people died.

Sea level rise will double coastal flood risk worldwide

This comes amidst recent reports that rising sea levels caused by global warming are set to dramatically boost the frequency of coastal flooding by 2050.

Tropical regions will be the worst hit, and researchers forecast a 10-to-20 centimeter (four-to-eight inch) jump in the global ocean watermark by mid-century.

Major cities along the North American seaboard such as Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with the European Atlantic coast, would be highly exposed, the researchers say.

The report claims that the rise of 5-10cm, likely to occur within a couple of decades, would mean major cities including San Francisco in the US, Mumbai in India, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and Abidjan in Ivory Coast facing a doubled risk of coastal floods.

According to The Guardian, the research takes in to account the large waves and storm surges that can tip gradually rising sea levels over the edge of coastal defences. Lower latitudes will be first affected, in a great swath through the tropics from Africa to South America and throughout south-east Asia, with Europe’s Atlantic coast and the west coast of the US not far behind. Follow @Muisyo_