A new study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science and conducted by researchers from the University of Lausanne, gives yet another reason why we urgently need to combat climate change. One of the key consequences of climate change will be an increase in coastal flooding as relative sea levels rise, according to researchers – something that already happens in some island nations around the globe. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), even in a low-emissions scenario, sea levels could rise as much as one metre by 2030. In the Marshall Islands, for example, “where the highest point is only two metres above sea level, 40% of the buildings in the capital city of Majuro would become permanently submerged”, states an article published in Oceanographic’s Issue 33.