Based on current climate change data and projections, the South Florida Peninsula is globally, one of the most vulnerable regions, with significant risks involving, major human populations, vast economic assets, and natural resources of national significance, including the Everglades. The low-lying topography of South Florida makes the area particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels as the oceans expand and glacial ice melts. Global sea level rise and the increase of land and water temperatures at the rates projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment report will have an effect on every aspect of life in South Florida.
Among the impacts, some already apparent, are periods of drought alternating with heavy precipitation, saltwater intrusion into important aquifers, increases in heat-related and insect-born diseases, changes in the range of exotic species, ocean acidification and the impact of sea-level rise on manmade coastal systems. Cutting edge research and careful planning can anticipate and manage many of these impacts.
To Read more:
Florida's Resilient Coasts: A State Policy Framework For Adaptation to Climate Change.(2.09MB pdf)