Don Hinrichsen

Some experts believe that sea levels will rise as a result of global warming caused by human activities. Many who inhabit the world’s highly populated coastal regions will suffer tremendous economic and social upheaval as a result, asserts Don Hinrichsen in the following viewpoint. In response, according to Hinrichsen, the United States will spend billions of dollars to prevent flooding and protect its water supply, but the world’s poorer nations cannot afford these protections and millions will be displaced. Moreover, rising seas will damage coastal ecology and threaten coastal livelihoods, he claims. Hinrichsen is author of Coastal Waters of the World: Trends, Threats, and Strategies.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Hinrichsen, what are the areas most vulnerable to sea level rise?
2. In the...