Researchers sound alarm on hidden crisis endangering health of coastal communities: 'Extremely pathogenic'

Our overheating planet is contributing to a rising threat to coastlines around the world that has not received much attention despite the harmful impacts it can have on human health.

What's happening?

Sea levels have risen more rapidly in recent decades. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects a rise of 1.4 to 2.8 feet by 2100, with a jump of as much as 6.6 feet possible. Rising water levels are forecast to worsen storm surges.

The combination of our warming world fueling stronger storms and rising sea levels raises the risk of unhealthy impacts along the world's coastlines as septic tanks, pit latrines, and treatment plants become more vulnerable to being inundated by water.

"Today many tropical coastal communities on the frontlines of climate change find themselves battling not just erosion and flooding, but also crumbling sanitation systems," wrote Amelia Wenger and Tanvi Oza in an op-ed in the Center for Biological Diversity's The Revelator, an independent journalism platform that focuses on environmental issues.

"Sea-level rise and storm surges, especially in rural and low-resource areas, bring saltwater pouring into inland spaces, where it corrodes pipes, damages pit latrines, and floods freshwater aquifers with sewage-laden salty water," added Wenger, the water pollution program lead with the Global Marine Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Oza, the former technical lead for climate change at WaterAid Australia.

Why is the growing risk of being exposed to sewage important?

"Any type of floodwater that has sewage in it is extremely pathogenic," said Natalie Exum, an assistant professor in environmental health and engineering, per the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "The most immediate risk is gastrointestinal." It's easy to get sick from exposure, she explains, adding that after a flood, the heavily inundated areas see more acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI)-related emergency room visits."

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Contaminants can flow into rivers close to water treatment plants, making them vulnerable to flooding. During the summer of 2022, torrential rain in Jackson, Mississippi, left more than 150,000 of the city's residents without safe drinking water for weeks, prompting a state of emergency.

What's being done about potential health risks from water contaminated by sewage?

"In response to these challenges, a growing alliance of international organizations, global research institutions, and practitioners in the fields of water, sanitation, and conservation have formed the Climate Resilient Sanitation Coalition," wrote Wenger and Oza.

"The Coalition has partnered with the Green Climate Fund, the world's largest climate fund, to develop step-by-step advice on designing sanitation systems that can withstand climate impacts," they added.

We can help by talking to friends and family about critical climate issues, donating money to climate causes, and supporting policymakers who fight for the future of our planet.