Coastal flooding, climate change could hit 20% of world GDP by 2100: Study

Based on estimated 2019 GDP, that currently comes to around $17.6 trillion

Failure to rein in climate change and bolster sea defences could jeopardise up to a fifth of the world's economic output by the end of the century, as flooding threatens coastal countries worldwide, according to a study released on Thursday.

From Bangladesh and India to Australia and even Britain, rising sea levels already are leading to more frequent and extreme flood events. With climate change causing polar ice to melt and ocean waters to expand, economists have sought for years to put a figure on the future potential damage.

The latest effort, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, paints