Flooding of Odessa and Berdyansk: which territories of Ukraine will disappear by 2100

Global warming is becoming a serious threat to many territories located near seas and oceans. This problem is also beginning to be felt on the Ukrainian coast. The head of the board of Greenpeace in Ukraine, Yevgeniya Zasyadko, confirmed this information in a comment to the publication 'Telegraph'.

According to Zasyadko's statements, there are several scenarios of global warming in which temperatures can rise from +1.5-2°C to +4°C. As part of the 'EcoAction' study, an analysis of the consequences of flooding in Ukraine was already conducted in 2018 in the event of such a temperature increase. According to modeling results, with a four-degree temperature rise, millions of hectares will be subject to flooding. On the map developed by experts, some areas of Odessa and Berdyansk that are at risk are even highlighted.

'The entire coastal territory of Ukraine will be partially flooded. Agricultural lands, populated areas, industrial development, and other territories will fall victim to this phenomenon. About 1168 thousand hectares - 212 thousand hectares of agricultural lands and 35 thousand hectares of development could be underwater. Even military training grounds are at risk, as they are located close to the sea,' Zasyadko emphasized.

Zasyadko noted that some of these territories are currently occupied. She believes that the projected scale of global climate changes will be reached by 2100. Although there is an opinion that the process of responding to these changes could last for centuries.

At the international level, the issue of global warming has been discussed for a long time. In 2015, countries signed the Paris Agreement, under which measures were to be adopted by 2050 to prevent critical scenarios of climate change. However, humanity has not yet managed to fulfill the main provision of the agreement - to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

A very important role in combating the consequences of global warming is played by the USA. However, US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change,' the head of Greenpeace in Ukraine emphasized.

Recent studies confirm that the economic consequences of climate change may be much more serious than previously thought. A group of Australian scientists showed that an increase in global temperature by three degrees by the end of the century could lead to a 40% decrease in global GDP per capita.

Global warming could lead to large-scale flooding of territories, including on the Ukrainian coast, according to research results. Despite international efforts to combat this phenomenon, the decisions and actions of specific countries, particularly the USA, which have a significant impact on the global climate process, play an important role in this.