Sea level rise could put more than 100 million buildings across the Global South at risk of regular flooding if fossil fuel emissions are not curbed quickly, according to a new McGill-led study published in npj Urban Sustainability.

The research provides the first large-scale, building-by-building assessment of the impact of long-term sea level rise on coastal infrastructure in Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. The team used detailed satellite maps and elevation data to estimate how many buildings would be inundated at various levels of sea level rise over multi-century timescales.