Scientists have warned that Islands along Kenya’s coastal strip could be submerged in the Indian Ocean by 2050.
Appearing on NTV on Monday, June 8, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) Director James Njiru stated that residents of the islands are among 150 million people who are living in lands that are projected to be submerged in the next three decades.
While marking the World Ocean Day on June 8, he stated that human activity was largely to blame for the negative effects being experienced by marine life.
The projection is based on the rate of rising sea levels caused by global warming.
Human activities, such as burning coal and oil and cutting down tropical forests, have increased atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping gases and caused the planet’s temperature to rise.
“The warming up of the ice glaciers and icebergs in the arctic is going to cause about a one-meter increase in our ocean.
“We are being told that islands like Lamu and Manda will be submerged. Several Estates, towns and cities in the world will be under the sea,” Njiru told reporters.
Sand harvesting and dredging which is currently ongoing to construct a new port in Lamu also contributes to the destruction of marine life.
The new port is expected to become the biggest deep-sea port in East Africa when completed.
The rising sea levels allow waves to penetrate further inland, even during calm conditions, increasing the potential for erosion.
KMFRI warned that toxic plastic elements could be ingested by humans through consumption of fish living in populated environments.
“There will be more plastics. About 50 million metric tons of plastics in water more than the fish [sic] so you’ll be eating more plastics than the fish,” he raised concern.
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