Simulation of Sea Level Rise and its Impacts on the Western Coastal Area of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Climate change has always been one of the most detailed issues of the environment and will remain so in the coming decades. Among the impacts of the climate change are the global warming that will lead to increased temperature and Sea Level Rise. Rising sea level inundates low relief coastal areas, causes server damages including shorelines erosion, and increases the salinity of shallow bays. Mediterranean countries are principally exposed to sea level rise due to their long offshore lines. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the most vulnerable country with large coastal in the region. Sea Level Rise is one of the most perceptible changes induced by the global warming and climate change. Coastal areas and islands are always sensitive to the climatic changes variation especially in arid and semi-arid environments where temperature is the keystone element of sea level rising. Western coast of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contains mountainous relief at the southern part and plain relief at the northern part considering city of Jeddah the midpoint. Northern coastal areas characterized by plain and low relief are considered to be extremely endangered in response to sea level rise. Potential Sea Level Rise hazards are numerous and involves both of human populations and natural resources. Results achieved during the current study expressed that the designated study area is extremely sensitive to sea level variations.