Coastal Alaska communities from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta northward will see more of their buildings exposed to flooding by 2100 if they continue developing at the same location, according to new research.
Coastal Alaska communities from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta northward will see more of their buildings exposed to flooding by 2100 if they continue developing at the same location, according to new research.
University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student Richard Buzard found that 22% of structures in 46 of 55 analyzed coastal communities are in flood plains. Sea level rise projections suggest the percentage will increase to 30–37% by 2100, he reported.
Western Alaska coastal communities currently have the greatest flood exposure and the most structures at risk, Buzard writes. Northern Alaska coastal communities will see similar flood exposure by 2100, he adds.
Read more at: University of Alaska Fairbanks
