As ice sheets continue to melt in the Arctic, scientists are sounding the alarm regarding the cascading effects on the rest of the world.  

What's happening?

According to a climate report by NASA, summer Arctic sea ice extent is shrinking by over 12% per decade due to an increase in global temperature. As noted by Pablo Manzanares, a geographer from the Autonomous University of Madrid, the melting of Arctic ice has far-reaching impacts.

"What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic," Manzanares quipped in a post on LinkedIn translated by Maspalomas 24H.

One of the regions that has felt the impact of Arctic ice melt is Maspalomas, a beach resort town on Gran Canaria, part of Spain's Canary Islands.

Manzanares shared a geographic analysis on the dangers that the region faces because of the changing climate. These dangers include sea level rise, wave intensification, and an increase in ocean temperatures.   

Why is the melting of Arctic ice concerning?

Melting Arctic ice, especially from land-based sources such as the Greenland ice sheet, has been contributing to rising sea levels, endangering coastal communities and infrastructure.

As noted by Manzanares, this puts cities such as Las Palmas in danger of catastrophic flooding.

Currently, 4% of all homes in Gran Canaria are in flood zones. With sea levels predicted to rise as much as three feet by the end of the century, more communities could face the real threat of displacement and resource loss.

"The urban pressure on this tourist area puts at risk the protected natural environment and the hotels and apartments of Meloneras, located in vulnerable areas that could be flooded by the combination of strong swells and rising sea levels," Manzanares wrote.   

What's being done about sea level rise in the Canary Islands?

As Maspalomas 24H reported, neither the Coastal Ministry nor local governments in Gran Canaria have directly addressed the increasing threat of flooding in Maspalomas.

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The Governing Council has approved the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition of the Canary Islands but has not provided "clear funding for coastal projects."

In a press release announcing the approval, translated via Google, the Canary Islands government revealed that the goal of the legislation is for the archipelago to reach a completely decarbonized economy by 2040.

In addition, the government will focus on "risk prevention and management, and the promotion of ecological transition, social cohesion, and climate action policies in the outermost regions and other territories."

Despite the push for more protection, Maspalomas 24H noted that neither "breakwaters, artificial beaches, nor nature-based solutions," had been announced by the government.

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