The administration of London has warned that in the coming years, millions of residents of the capital may suffer as a result of devastating floods. The mayor of the city, Sadiq Khan, called for the more active reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis, writes The Guardian.
According to the forecast of the mayor’s office, every fifth school in the city, 200,000 houses, and office buildings, as well as 25 percent of railway stations and ten percent of communication networks will be flooded. The greatest risks due to floods were predicted for six districts of the city-Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Brent, Tower Hamlets, and Newham.
“The climate emergency remains one of the most important threats facing London and the world. The average temperatures on the planet are already rising, and this summer we have experienced the consequences in the form of extreme heat and flash floods in the capital, ” Khan said.
The head of London believes that there is little time left to increase efforts to prevent a global catastrophe. He calls on the UK government to take stronger measures ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. Khan himself intends to significantly expand the “ultra-low emissions zone” in London — from October 25, it will cover an additional 3.8 million people. According to the mayor, this way it will be possible to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions on the roads by 30 percent.
By 2030, London should become carbon-neutral. According to the city administration, decarbonization is successful — 44 thousand tons of CO2 is released from the territory annually less than before the plan to reduce emissions appeared.
Floods in the near future threaten not only the UK but also many other countries. Scientists from the EU’s Copernicus climate change service announced an ultra-rapid rise in the level of the world’s oceans. According to the researchers, the water level rises by 3.1 millimeters annually, and the area of the underwater ice that has melted at the moment is equal in area to six territories of Germany. Such changes are fraught with frequent flooding around the world and, according to the UN, may even leave some small island states underwater.
