During the high tide the inhabitants of Ghoramara Island are fixing the fragile soil embankment to restrain the further land erosion and the high tide that inundates to the island that is rapidly disappearing due to the sea level rise. City: Kolkata Region: West Bengal Country: India Image: Debsuddha Banerjee / Climate Visuals Countdown
Guide
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise
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Sea levels are rising because of global warming. The scientific evidence at this point is indisputable, and the consequences are likely severe. Much of humanity lives along coastlines, where even small changes in sea levels can result in record flooding, loss of communities, forced human migration, and damage to fishing and agriculture.
For journalists, explaining the causes and consequences of rising sea levels is a critical and challenging assignment. There are many stories that can be told through the eyes of those already being affected.
This guide was written by GIJN’s Resource Center senior advisor, Toby McIntosh. It was edited by Nikolia Apostolou, Laura Dixon, and Reed Richardson, with fact-checking by Miranda Woolen. Unless specifically credited, photos for this guide come from Climate Visuals.
Chapters
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter One — Key Questions
Sea levels are rising because of global warming. The scientific evidence at this point is indisputable, and the consequences are likely severe. Much of humanity lives along coastlines, where even small changes in sea levels can result in record flooding, loss of communities, forced human migration, and damage to fishing and agriculture. To what levels […]
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter Two – Understanding Rising Sea Levels
The warnings are stark. “It is virtually certain that global mean sea level will continue to rise over the 21st century,” wrote scientists in the August 2021 report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the key UN scientific body focusing on this crisis. The fundamental reason for rising sea levels is […]
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter Three — Maps and Data
Writing about sea level rise doesn’t necessarily require using historic data or scientific projections, although such information is available for coastal locations worldwide. The practical effects are already visible and affecting people’s lives. “Start with who is being affected now and then you can back into ‘it’s getting worse,’” counsels John Upton, the Partnership Journalism […]
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter Four — Story Tips and Best Practices
That there’s a climate change story on every beat is by now a common observation, but it’s one amply demonstrated by the diversity of stories written about sea level rise. In this section, GIJN will explore the many possibilities for covering this emerging problem. (In the final part of this guide, you will find almost […]
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter Five — Visualizing Rising Oceans
The dramatic effects of sea level rise can be visualized in a variety of ways. For emotional appeal, digitally modified photos can show how rising water levels might affect treasured monuments and buildings. Interactive maps allow users to explore whether waves will lap at their own homes. Photographs and graphics can be powerful visual ways […]
Chapter Guide Resource
GIJN’s Guide to Investigating Sea Level Rise: Chapter Six — Notable Investigations
What follows is a collection of sea level rise stories representing either unique investigative work or interesting ways of approaching sea level rise stories. This list is categorized by topic, though given the wide-ranging impact of sea level rise, a story about ecological loss often morphs into stories about economics, migration, and other topics. It […]