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Feb 4, 2019

7 min. read

1. The Maldives.

Boasting luxury resorts with overwater villas, white-sand beaches and picturesque lagoons for water-sports, this Indian Ocean archipelago is a haven for honeymooners and bucket-list travellers, But the islands are also the world’s lowest lying, making them vulnerable to rising sea levels: They could be completely submerged by 2100.

2. Great Barrier Reef.

Stretching along Australia’s Queensland coast, this wonder of the world supports an extraordinary array of marine life—from sea snails to humpback whales, and of course, the corals that make up the reef system. Reputable outfitters will ensure you visit the reef responsibly, and see spots that haven’t been subject to climate change–induced coral bleaching.

3. Bangkok.

Thailand’s coastal capital is at the mercy of rising seas and torrential rains. Flood-mitigation projects, however, are underway: Beautiful new Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, for example, is designed to retain and divert almost four million litres of floodwater.

Gondolas on the canal in venice, italy.

4. The Dead Sea.

Israel’s ancient salt lake is famous for its remarkably buoyant H2O. It’s also shrinking by more than a metre per year due to water diversion upstream.

5. Venice.

Tidal flooding has always been a part of life along Italy’s famous canals. But climate change and over development have exacerbated the problem. Don’t wait to tour historic churches, museums, bridges and markets on foot or by gondola.

6. Bordeaux.

Climate change could also adversely impact this French wine region—and as a result, the tourist-friendly vineyards that produce them.

Mt kilimanjaro in tanzania.

7. Mount Kilimanjaro.

Africa’s highest peak looms large in travellers’ imaginations. Summiting the 5,895-metre-high dormant volcano is a challenge, but you don’t need climbing skills to do it: each year, Tanzanian tour operators guide 30,000 people to the top. While the mountain feels eternal, its glaciers are rapidly shrinking, and could effectively disappear by 2030.

8. Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon is home to 10 percent of earth’s total biodiversity, but in just the last 50 years, clear-cutting for farming and mining has reduced the forest’s area by almost 17 percent.

9. The Everglades

To explore south Florida’s subtropical wetlands is to discover a complex biosphere that’s filled with rare plants and animals. Seek them out on an airboat safari or by paddling through mangrove forests. But don’t be fooled by the marshy idyll: urbanization, pollution and rising seas pose serious threats.

10. Taj Mahal.

This Indian icon welcomes eight million guests annually, and millions more live in the surrounding city of Agra. This human activity is taking a toll on the mausoleum: Air pollution is yellowing its once stunning white walls, and its wood foundations are at risk of drying out and cracking due to groundwater depletion.

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