Australia faces $855 billion in coastal flooding risks by 2100

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University have released a study published in Scientific Reports regarding the economic and physical risks of rising sea levels in Australia. By the year 2100, approximately 268,000 properties, including homes and businesses, are projected to be affected by coastal flooding and storm surges.

The study estimates that the total economic loss could reach $855.1 billion, consisting of $274 billion in property damage and over $580 billion in losses to agricultural and other lands. Queensland faces the highest number of at-risk properties, followed by New South Wales and Western Australia.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the projections suggest a significantly more severe scenario. In such a case, the number of at-risk properties could rise to approximately 720,000, affecting 3.7 million hectares of land with potential economic losses escalating to $1.91 trillion.