Ecosperity Conversations
Climate Resilience: Sea Level Change and Implications for Coastal Cities
200 million people worldwide live along coastlines less than 5 metres above sea level. By the end of the 21st century, this figure is estimated to increase to 400 to 500 million. These low-lying coastal regions are vulnerable to changes in sea level brought about by climate change, storms or earthquakes. Professor Horton's research uncovers fundamental knowledge about how sea level has changed in the past and how it may change in the future. His research directly addresses the rates and geographic variability of sea level change, which was highlighted at the top of the list of the eight priority science questions in the “Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences” report.
Professor Horton will discuss the mechanisms that cause sea level to rise and provide projections for Singapore. He will share important insights gathered from his work with US governmental agencies on this very topic, and share his learnings and applications to coastal cities like Singapore.
Image credit: Worldfish / Flickr
Programme
Professor Benjamin P Horton
Chair, Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University & Principal Investigator, Earth Observatory of Singapore
Cheong Yip Seng
Former Editor-in-Chief, English and Malay Newspapers, Singapore Press Holdings
About the speaker
Professor Benjamin P Horton Ph.D
Chair, Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University
Principal Investigator, Earth Observatory of Singapore
Benjamin Horton is a professor at the Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and Principal Investigator of the Earth Observatory of Singapore. His research concerns sea-level change. He aims to understand the mechanisms that have determined sea-level changes in the past, and which will shape changes in the future. Professor Horton’s research impacts upon important ethical, social, economic and political problems facing such coastal regions.
Professor Horton has won a number of research awards: European Geosciences Union (Plinius Medal); American Geophysical Union (Voyager Award); Geological Society of America (W. Storrs Cole Award); and United States Army Corps of Engineers (Medal for Research Excellence). He was made a Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2013.
Professor Horton was an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (5AR). For excellence in teaching and outreach, Professor Horton has received the Linnean Society Award for contributions to biological diversity and evolution, The Higher Education Funding Council for England Excellence in Teaching Award and the Menzies Australian Bicentennial Award for promoting scholarship, intellectual links, and mutual awareness and understanding between the United Kingdom and Australia. Professor Horton’s research was cited by President Obama in his 2015 State of the Union Address on January 20th 2015.
Professor Horton has published over 180 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Horton is supervising or has supervised 22 students to the degree of PhD and 14 postdoctoral scientists, of which 12 now occupy academic positions.
Attendance to Ecosperity Conversations is by invitation. For more information, contact us at ecosperity.convo@temasek.com.sg.
