The impacts of sea level rise in East Anglia

1. The impacts of sea level rise in East Anglia

2. Low lying settlements like Kings Lyn will be under threat as seas levels rise. Valuable productive agricultural land like the fens will be lost due to flooding and salinisation

3. The national Park, Norfolk Broads will be threatened. This is a of vital importance to the local economy bringing in £5 million a year.

4. Settlements like Overstrand, Cromer and Happisburgh are likely to be lost unless considerable modernising of defenses take place. This will be very expensive and will it be sustainable?

5. Many people in East Anglia fear a return of the flood that caused devastation in 1953 With rising sea levels and warmer oceans as well as more people than ever living in coastal areas a flood of the same magnitude would reek havoc with inevitable losses of life.

6. Salt marshes and mudflats are being increasingly squeezed between rising sea levels and sea walls. It is expected that up to 25% of East Anglia Salt marshes will be lost by 2050 Conservationists have lobbied hard and in some area the controversial political decision of managed retreat has been taken whereby sea walls will be breached to allow salt marsh regeneration to reform.

7. The Thames Estuary will be affected by flooding. This is site to many houses, farmland and valuable industry The Thames Barrier currently protects buildings worth over £80 billion. It is likely to need replacing in the next 30-50 years as sea levels rise. The cost of anew Thames Barrier is likely to be in the region of £20 million