Alexandria, in Egypt
The rising sea water level is leading to salt water to infiltrate the soils, weakening the foundations of the buildings of the historic Egyptian city.
The Egyptian city of Alexandria is increasingly threatened by the devastating effects of rising sea levelaccording to a recent published in Earth’s Future magazine.
Researchers found that the collapse of buildings along the city’s old sea edge accelerated dramatically, with the rate of building losses to increase from fence from one per year to 40 per year In the last decade.
In the last 20 years, about 280 buildings in the port city with 2300 years have collapsed and Another 7000 are now at risk to follow the same path. Only between 2014 and 2020, 86 buildings were completely destroyed and 201 others partially broke, causing 85 deaths, the.
Alexandria, known as the Cleopatra Birth Place and headquarters of the legendary Library of Alexandria, is facing a crisis that extends far beyond its physical structures.
“The true cost of this loss Goes far beyond bricks And the mortar, ”said Essam Heggy, co -author of the study and water scientist at the University of Southern California. “We are watching the gradual disappearance of historical coastal cities, with Alexandria giving the alarm. What once seemed to be a distant climate risk is now a current reality. ”
The cause of this rapid deterioration lies in the climb of sea level, which is causing the seawater infiltrates the soil under the city. As salt water infiltrates inside, increases groundwater levels, weakens the soil and erodes the foundations of buildings. In addition, salt water accelerates the corrosion of steel reinforcements, further destabilizing the structures.
The investigation points out that the global level of the sea has risen 8-9 inches (20-23 cm) since 1880, with a significant acceleration of 4 inch (10 cm) since 1993. Projections suggest that by 2100, sea level can rise up to 2.2 meters If current trends are kept.
In their study, scientists used satellite images and maps from several decades from 1974 to 2021 to evaluate the retreat of the coastal line. The findings revealed that the Alexandria coastline moved to the interior in up to 36 meters in certain regions.
To mitigate damage and prepare for future threats, researchers suggest various solutions, including building sand dunes, building coastal barriers, increasing buildings and traveling vulnerable populations.
