In a recent study, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned that failure to stop the sea level rise due to climate change in time would cause costs of about 4% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The Organization, to which Costa Rica aspires to enter in the medium term, stressed that if the sea increases its level by 1.3 meters, the damages on the coasts would be equivalent to about $50 billion by the end of this century, a figure that could be reduced two to three times if countries act now and take measures to protect coastal populations and infrastructure near the sea.
Experts from the OECD environment area rely on scientific reports that reveal a rise in sea level of a meter during the present century, a process that seems irreversible, which would mean considerable damage to coastal areas.
The melting of the poles occurs due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases that prevent the heat generated by the sun from dissipating, which causes the global temperature that is melting the large blocks of ice at the poles.
The OECD also called attention to the slow pace with which countries are acting in the face of the undeniable reality of climate change. Only five nations that make up the Organization are taking measures at the budgetary level and already allocate part of their resources to address the problem that involves the rise in sea level.
In Europe, where most of the member countries of the OECD are, there are only five countries in the group that are taking contingency measures.
For example, Germany has resources of 550 million euros by 2025, the United Kingdom has 2.6 billion pounds to finance its actions during the period between 2015 and 2021, while France can use up to 500 million euros to invest in measures to mitigate the impact of the rise in sea level.