13. Virginia Beach
Popular holiday hotspot and the state’s largest city, Virgina Beach, is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. Coastal property and the delicate ecosystem are at risk in this scenic low-lying area, and hurricanes threaten with alarming frequency. Don’t delay a trip to the Hampton Roads area, as it might not be above water much longer.
14. Mumbai
Much of India’s spicy, eclectic and alluring city of Mumbai is built on low-lying reclaimed land. Every year its age-old drainage systems are overwhelmed by torrential monsoon rains, rising waters, and extreme weather brought on by climate change (or so most experts believe). Lack of floodgates mean the sea can flow inward at high tide, waterlogging vast regions of the densely populated city. Billions of rupees are lost to floods each year, so there is economic impact as well. Roads are blocked, school are closed, houses are submerged, power is cut and business are shut down during these increasingly more frequent and damaging disruptions. Beyond mega rainstorms, deadly heat waves are another concern. Expect more of these extreme weather patterns to come with dire consequences.
15. Malé
Even climate change deniers can’t help but notice the tiny capital city of the Maldives is going under soon, along with many other of the 1,200 atolls in the archipelago. Sadly, this idyllic nation and honeymoon favorite is being swallowed up by the Indian Ocean. It is estimated that 77 per cent of the nation will be submerged within this century, although another study predicts this will happen by 2085. When it might become a modern Atlantis is up for debate, but the seawalls, breakwaters and artificial beaches created to fortify Malé are insufficient to hold back the rising waters forever.
