Potential Impacts: Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise

Sensitivity of the coastlines of Canada to the expected rise in sea level is shown on the map. Sensitivity here means the degree to which a coastline may experience physical changes such as flooding, erosion, beach migration, and coastal dune destabilization. Climate warming is expected to cause warming of the oceans and the partial melting of glaciers and ice-caps, resulting in a global rise in sea level. Two major regions of high sensitivity are identified: Atlantic Canada and parts of the Beaufort Sea coast.