New York just one of several cities facing increased risk of coastal flooding

The World

The flooding New York City experienced from Sandy could become a more common occurrence as climate change causes sea levels to rise.

Officials there have for some time been looking at ways to make the city more resilient to storm surges. Six years ago, they approached a Dutch scientist for advice. The Netherlands is a low-lying country that is well known for its heroic efforts to hold back the sea.

The Dutch scientist, Jeroen Aerts of VU University in Amsterdam, says New York officials wanted to know what they could do to make the city more flood-proof. But, at the time, they weren’t interested in big engineering solutions.

“They were a little bit reluctant in terms of considering large scale protection measures, like surge barriers,” he said.

Surge barriers, or flood barriers, are carefully engineered concrete structures, often built in tidal inlets, that prevent flooding in coastal areas.

These and other large structures, like levees, are expensive, and New York wanted inexpensive solutions, Aerts says.

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