The warning signs are increasingly hard to ignore. Sea-level rise is real, displacing thousands of people, destroying millions of acres of land and generating billions of dollars in losses. All scientists agree on its principle impacts: submergence and flooding of coastal land, saltwater intrusion into surface waters and groundwater, increased erosion and overwhelmingly negative social and economic repercussions.

They are also certain that these effects will be widespread and will accelerate with time. Some suggest that cities like Los Angeles, Mumbai, London, etc. might be completely underwater by 2050!