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A framework to investigate the economic growth impact of sea level rise

AIMED AT: Policy makers, economic experts PURPOSE: To analyse economic impacts of sea level rise, which is less analysed aspect of climate change GEOGRAPHICAL AREA: Global TECHNICAL AREA: To investigate the possibility that sea level rise impacts negatively on economic growth and represents an obstacle to development and poverty reduction BASIC STRUCTURE: The paper provides background information on problem of sea level rise. Its contribution is threefold. First, it proposes a framework to discuss the economic growth impact of sea level rise. Second, it reviews the channels through which sea level rise can affect economic growth, namely the loss of land, the loss of infrastructure and physical capital, the loss of social capital, the additional cost from extreme events and coastal floods, and the increased expenditure for coastal protection. Finally, it discusses how existing studies on the direct impact of sea level rise could be used to investigate the resulting consequences on economic growth, emphasizes research needs on this question, and discusses consequences on migration. The main conclusion of this paper is that sizable impacts of sea level rise on economic growth and welfare are possible, at least at the regional scale, even though it is difficult to quantify this effect with current knowledge.

01 jan. 2016

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A framework to investigate the economic growth impact of sea level rise.pdf