Almost half of the population of US, including our largest cities face serious floods caused by a “triple threat” of sea-level rise, storm surge and heavy rainfall, according to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The combination of these phenomena can potentially result in “compound flooding” that can devastate several low-lying, densely populated coastal areas inside the country.

This is the first scientific study to explore the connection between the primary and secondary effects of climate change. This means that without a drastic rise in sea levels, frequent severe floods and storms will bring the effects of climate change right into coastal cities, where nearly 40 percent of the American population now lives.

Since 1880, global temperatures have risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. And, over the last 100 years, the global average sea level has risen by seven inches. This increase is likely to accelerate as Antarctica’s floating ice shelves continue to melt.

Global efforts to stop human trafficking continue to gain support. The Department of State’s Office has increased the monitoring and combating of trafficking in persons, which is headed by Acting Director Kari Johnstone. The effort leads the United States' global engagement against human trafficking, an umbrella term used to describe the activities involved when someone obtains or holds a person in compelled service.

http://www.state.gov/j/tip/index.htm

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