Estimates of the Economic Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Paros and Naxos Islands (Cyclades Archipelago Greece)

Abstract

The effects of climate change are numerous and diverse, often interlinked, causing severe impacts on the economic and physical environment of the affected areas. Freshwater shortage and sea level rise are highlighted as the priority risks of climate change in Mediterranean coastal region. This study seeks to illustrate at a local level the impact that sea level rise may generate on the coastal communities of Cyclades Islands in Greece. After developing three different scenarios of sea level rise by 0.3, 0.6 and 1 m in tandem with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) as a mapping tool the percentage of inundated area at different islands was illustrated and the respective economic cost was calculated. Results revealed that in the most possible case scenario of sea level rise by 0.6 m the total land loss value for the whole Cyclades complex reaches almost 4 billion € (~ 2.22 of National GDP) with Naxos island being the most vulnerable. Further research needs to take into consideration additional factors related to the impact assessment of sea level rise in Cyclades in order to produce more robust results.