Sea Level Rise and Urban Inequality

Abstract

Sea level rise threatens coastal cities around the world. Will it exacerbate inequality in these already unequal places? The rich may adapt by moving to higher ground, threby bidding up prices and pushing the poor elsewhere. I study this spatial sorting with a simple quantitative model and granular data from Jakarta, a flood-prone megacity of 32 million. I find that sea level rise can triple inequality in flood exposure.

Topics & Concepts