Parts of the country may be under water

Most of the Norwegian coast could be affected by sea level rise if global warming continues as it is today, according to a Norwegian report.

The report has been prepared by the Nansen Center and the Norwegian Climate Service Center on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency.

It describes how the sea is expected to rise along the Norwegian coast towards the middle and end of this century, and further towards the year 2300.

– The report shows yet another serious challenge from climate change. Seas will rise as global temperatures increase. When combined with storm surges and wave action, it can have significant consequences along our long coastline. More areas may remain under water – periodically or permanently – in the future. We have to take that into account when planning land use and try to prevent serious consequences, says Environment Directorate head Ellen Hambro.

Parts of Norway under water

The report’s figures on sea level rise are based on recent figures from the UN’s sixth main report, which came out in March last year. The numbers have then been tailored to Norwegian areas.

How much the sea will rise will vary between different parts of the Norwegian coast. This is because land elevation, i.e. how much the land rises by several millimeters per year in relation to the sea, is different around the country.

– The sea level is rising fastest along the coast in Southern and Western Norway and outside Northern Norway, because the land in these areas is rising more slowly than around the Oslo Fjord and in Central Norway, writes the Norwegian Environment Agency.

They emphasize that although it may sound undramatic with a rise of a few tens of centimeters, such a change will increase the risk of flooding from the sea.

– In the long term, parts of Norway will remain under water as a result of sea level rise, it is pointed out.

– False sense of security

Norway generally has a steep and rocky coast, which historically has led to a stable sea level, according to the directorate.

– In contrast to many other coastal nations, Norway has thus far not experienced the consequences of sea level rise. The danger is that this can create a false sense of security, where the long-term risk is not sufficiently understood or even ignored, the report says.

The purpose of the report is to provide a knowledge base for politicians and decision-makers who work with emission-reducing measures and adaptation strategies for coastal planning in Norway.

– There is considerable uncertainty about the outcome. How much the sea level will rise depends largely on how well the world succeeds in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time as we prepare for what is to come, all countries must therefore work hard to avoid the most dramatic consequences that will affect the generations that come after us, says Hambro.