THE IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE IN MEDCS AND LEDCS

Georgetown, Guyana, LEDC Mississippi River Delta, USA, MEDC

Sea level rise is affecting every part of the world but the impact on local people is very different in an LEDC compared to an MEDC. The ability of people to react to what is happening is also very different.Watch the Atlantic Rising videos ‘Sea level change in Guyana’ and/or ‘The Sinking Mississippi Delta’. This will provide some background on the impacts and ways of adapting.

Activity 1

For both Guyana and the Mississippi River Delta, USA answer these questions:

  1. Where in the world is each location?
  2. Is it an LEDC or an MEDC?
  3. Make a list of adjectives to describe what you see during each video.

Activity 2

Use what you saw during the video to help you write a short piece explaining what life is like in Georgetown, Guyana and why sea level rise and flooding makes life so difficult. (Extension – you could also use this blog: )

Activity 3

The table below has a series of statements about the impacts of sea level rise and the ways of adapting to it. Some statements relate to the situation in an MEDC, others are from an LEDC. Decide which belongs to which and stick them into your book under the headings LEDC and MEDC.

Impacts of sea level rise / Ways of adapting
My house gets flooded every high tide because I have to live right next to the sea and a river channel. I have nowhere else to go. / We can’t afford to move to other parts of the city. This is our home and we have to deal with sea level rise and flooding the best we can.
Our beach holiday home isn’t worth as much money as it was a few years ago. I think people are worried about sea level rise, flooding and erosion. It could cost me and lots of people here a lot of money. / I have moved my family to the edge of the city and I had to cut down trees to make space for our small house. There are no jobs here so I have to make a long journey into the city everyday, but at least my house doesn’t get flooded anymore.
When there are really bad floods due to sea level rise it can cause millions of pounds of damage to our property, possessions and economy. Thank goodness we have insurance. / We have built our house on stilts so that it won’t get flooded. The only thing on the ground floor is the car and the garage. All our neighbours have done the same thing.
We aren’t concerned for our health or lives, but sea level rise is definitely changing our environment and the local wildlife. / Our local government officials built strong flood defences to prevent damage from high tides, sea level rise and flooding.
Our children get ill because when the sea floods our house it can bring diseases and we find it hard to stay warm and dry. / We don’t have any flood defences here, so we just have to clean up fast when the floods come to try and avoid diseases like malaria and cholera.
If my house is washed away by the sea I will have nothing. The government won’t help and I don’t have enough money to build another one. / We learn about climate change in school and we ask our government to take action because it is powerful and can make a difference for the whole world

Extension Work

Read this blog on the impact of sea level rise in the Florida Everglades in the USA.

Do you think sea level rise is a more serious for the Florida Everglades or for Georgetown, Guyana? Explain your answer.