Some Observations on Sea Level Trends in East Africa
SLPR2 software can be used to convert data from the UHSLC into generic format to observe the rate of sea level rise or acceleration.
For long records, small, non-consecutive data gaps cannot alter observations of the sea level trends (e.g. Brest).
Station records should be examined before rushing into conclusions. E.g. at Takoradi, “data from 1966 onwards looks irregular and unreliable”,. The entire records of Durban and Rodriguez are also “flagged for attention”. At Maputo, a benchmark was destroyed 1999 and replaced by another one nearby. No direct relationship between the two as they did not exist at the same time.
While the region is embarking on expansion and upgrade of the existing sea level network, there is an urgent need to build capacity in satellite altimetry so that current trends in sea level can be monitored by both methods.
PHYSICAL IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE
PRIMARY IMPACTS
Inundation and displacement of wetlands and lowlands
Increased vulnerability to coastal storm damage and flooding
Shoreline erosion
Saltwater intrusion into estuaries and freshwater aquifers
SECONDARY IMPACTS
Altered tidal ranges in rivers and bays
Changes in sedimentation patterns
Decreased light penetration to benthic organisms
Increase in the heights of waves
Inundation and displacement of wetlands and lowlands
This, the most obvious impact of sea level rise, refers both to the conversion of dryland to wetland and the conversion of wetlands to open water.
In salt marsh and mangrove habitats, rapid sea-level rise would submerge land, waterlog soils, and cause plant death from salt stress.
Increased vulnerability to coastal storm damage and flooding
Sea level rise would increase the impact of tropical cyclones and other storms that drive storm surges.
The effects would be disastrous on small island States and other low-lying developing countries, such as the Maldives, where 90 per cent of the population lives along the coast.
Flooding due to storm surges will increase under conditions of higher sea level. As is true at present, damage due to flooding will be most severe when the surges strike during high tide.
