Even if humanity stopped emitting all greenhouse gases today, it would be impossible to avoid further climate change disasters. Icelanders, like other countries, have to adapt to this reality, the head of the Icelandic Meteorological Service said in his interview with Vísir.
Icelanders, like other countries, have to adapt to this reality, Arni Snorason was quoted as saying.
Ocean acidification and sea level rise are part of the ongoing climate change. It happens faster in ice caps than anywhere else in the world. Melting Greenland glaciers could raise sea levels by about 30 cm by the end of the next century, according to a new study.
Without action, sea levels could rise by up to 2 meters in the worst-case scenario. Such an increase, along with more continuous storms, could have a major impact on Iceland as elsewhere in the world.
Arni Snorason, director of the Icelandic Meteorological Service, said: Of course, it has long been clear that around snow and ice, such as mountains and the Alps, we have reached a point where it is very difficult to backtrack. ”
“People have to face the fact that a summer like this could be a familiar scenario in 2100,” he adds.
Rising sea levels could pose significant challenges for Iceland. This should be taken into consideration when developing infrastructure in Reykjavik and elsewhere in the country.
“Of course, we need to develop scenarios and risk assessments, so we are adjusting our land use and infrastructure to meet these challenges,” Arni says.
The impacts of climate change on water management, glaciers and more have been studied in the energy sector for decades. The government has also taken steps to develop a regulatory framework for integration and has set out policies in a white paper. Action plan work is underway in most areas of society.
“It is clear that sea level change is one of the key issues for the future. Arni says.
