Australia's coastal communities and industries are set to face massive disruptions from climate change unless rapid action is taken, the UN's climate scientists have warned.
found melting sea ice and glaciers could raise sea levels by 30-60cm by 2100, even if global warming is capped at two degrees, or by more than a metre if pollution rates continue on current trends.
Report co-author Associate Professor Nerilie Abram from the Australian National University said the UN's projections were dire for Australia's coastal areas.
An aerial image of sunbathers at Coogee Beach. Source: AAP
"Australia's coastal cities and communities can expect to experience what was previously a once-in-a-century extreme coastal flooding event at least once every year by the middle of this century – in many cases much more frequently," she said in a statement.
Associate Professor Abram said if rapid action is taken, Australia could gain more than a decade of extra time to prepare coastal infrastructure against these damaging events or "even avoid them significantly".
"But even if we act now, some changes are already locked in and our ocean and frozen regions will continue to change for decades to centuries to come, so we need to also make plans to adapt," she said.
"In Australia, adapting coastal communities to unavoidable sea level rise is likely a priority. There are a range of possible options, from building barriers to planned relocation, to protecting the coral reefs and mangroves that provide natural coastal defences."
More than 100 authors from 36 countries worked on the report, which referenced 7000 scientific publications.
The Australian government has maintained it's on track to reduce carbon emissions by at least 26 per cent by 2030, in line with Paris Agreement commitments.
