GM6.9
Sinking, shrinking and saltier river deltas: processes, interactions and responses
Co-organized by HS13/NH1/NP8
Convener:
Philip S.J. Minderhoud
|
Co-conveners:
Charlotte Marcinko,
Robert Nicholls,
Gualbert Oude Essink,
Pietro Teatini
vPICO presentations
|
Wed, 28 Apr, 15:30–17:00 (CEST)
Public information:
Worldwide over 500 million people live in low-lying coastal deltaic areas, existential to global food security, economic activities and biodiversity. Despite climate change severity at global scale, in many densely populated deltas its effect is currently evidently dwarfed by anthropogenic pressures in the river basin such as river flow modifications, damming and the overexploitation of the natural resources groundwater or sand, as well as profound land use changes and process such as urbanisation. As a result, many major deltas rapidly sink and shrink because of accelerated land subsidence and erosion rates. This increases relative sea-level rise and vulnerability to floods and storms, increases salinization of surface and groundwater and reduces freshwater availability, leading to significant losses in biodiversity, habitat degradation, reduced agricultural and economic productivity. A fundamental change in management approach is required to address these trends and challenges to sustain deltas environments, economies and populations through the 21st Century.
The processes resulting in sinking, shrinking and saltier deltas are interconnected and developing sustainable and inclusive management requires a multidisciplinary system approach. For this, we need to understand the full range of interrelated disciplines, including, amongst others, geology, river and estuarine dynamics, sediment dynamics, hydrology, hydrogeology, geomechanics, bio-morphodynamics as well as the human dimension of delta demography, economy and land use. This session brings together contributions from the full range of scientific disciplines involved in understanding and managing the combined integrated environmental threats that our world’s deltas face.
The processes resulting in sinking, shrinking and saltier deltas are interconnected and developing sustainable and inclusive management requires a multidisciplinary system approach. For this, we need to understand the full range of interrelated disciplines, including, amongst others, geology, river and estuarine dynamics, sediment dynamics, hydrology, hydrogeology, geomechanics, bio-morphodynamics as well as the human dimension of delta demography, economy and land use. This session brings together contributions from the full range of scientific disciplines involved in understanding and managing the combined integrated environmental threats that our world’s deltas face.
vPICO presentations: Wed, 28 Apr
Chairperson: Philip S.J. Minderhoud
15:30–15:35
5-minute convener introduction
Keynote
PICO Two-minute presentations
15:49–15:51
|
EGU21-7931
|
ECS
Mekong delta system
Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta system
Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve
16:11–16:13
|
EGU21-16485
Endnote
Central discussion
16:17–17:00
Meet the authors in their breakout text chats