Nicholas Zoomed into the club meeting from the Wairarapa and gave a presentation on global sea level rise and socioeconomic impacts for New Zealand. Nicholas highlighted the drivers of sea level change from melting glaciers, thermal expansion of the water itself, and the fact that Wellington is actually sinking ½ cm per year!
The impacts of a 1/100 storm event were likely to cost $38 billion and affect nearly 2000 people, 14 airports and miles of road and rail tracks, affecting social connectivity. As the risks rise, insurance companies are also likely to raise insurance rates before withholding insurance altogether from at risk areas. The solutions are: 1) avoiding building housing in risk prone areas; 2) accommodating flooding through building design (such as houses on stilts and living with the flooding); 3) protecting buildings with sea walls; and finally, 4) retreating out of flood prone areas. The cost of these choices increases from 1-4, and are likely to fall on the homeowner.