Cartagena de Indias is sinking: What can the city do to mitigate it?

"recent scientific studies have recorded an average annual rise of seven millimeters over the past two decades. This is the second-highest sea level rise in the entire Caribbean, surpassed only by areas in southern Haiti. The underlying story is the same: greenhouse gas emissions have accelerated the melting of the polar ice caps. Consequently, the coastlines in some of these locations begin to subside in a geological process that poses a threat and a source of anxiety for residents."

"Forty-one percent of the rise in relative sea level is due to geology, explains marine biologist Juan Dario Restrepo. It's nature, and there's nothing we can do about it. For example, one of the biggest problems in the bay is that it has more than 80 underwater volcanic gas vents. When they erupt, they spew out mud and release pressure, leaving empty pockets that cause cracks. As a result, the city's ground is sinking."

"The aftershocks of Hurricane Melissa, whose eye formed in Jamaican waters, clearly demonstrate the impact of these phenomena on daily life in the Colombian Caribbean: avenues bordering the boardwalk were flooded; families in low-income neighborhoods like El Libano reported emergencies; hotel lobbies became waterlogged, while parking areas in wealthier buildings in the Bocagrande sector were battered by water. The recent torrential rains and storm surges have served as yet another wake-up call to remind authorities of the city's vulnerability."

Sea levels are rising in tourist coastal cities worldwide, with Cartagena recording an average annual rise of seven millimeters over the past two decades, the second-highest rate in the Caribbean after southern Haiti. Greenhouse gas emissions have accelerated polar ice melt, contributing to global sea-level rise and causing some coastlines to subside through geological processes that threaten residents. In Cartagena, 41 percent of the rise in relative sea level stems from geology. The bay contains more than 80 underwater volcanic gas vents that erupt mud, release pressure, form empty pockets and cracks, and cause ground sinking. Recent storm surges and Hurricane Melissa aftershocks flooded boardwalk avenues, inundated low-income neighborhoods, waterlogged hotel lobbies, and damaged parking areas, highlighting the city's vulnerability. Previously, strong winds and high waves were concentrated early in the year and severe flooding occurred only two or three times annually.

Read at english.elpais.com