SA: New Elevation Measure Shows Climate Change Could Quickly Swamp the Mekong Delta

Newly surfaced research conducted in the Netherlands, hidden for years by the Vietnamese government, suggests that the number of Vietnamese citizens living in low-lying areas that will be affected by rising sea levels is double the current estimate. They project that the Mekong Delta could be under water in as little as a few decades from now. Researchers worry that this issue will extend to other areas similar in topography, such as the Ganges in Bangladesh and India and the Irrawaddy in Myanmar. Currently, some areas of the Mekong are subsiding at a rate close to 5 centimeters per year. Consequently, flooding of the delta has increased in prevalence and intruding seawater is damaging mangroves, coastal crops, and protective wetlands. To learn more click here.