Rising Tides

No matter which computer model is used, indications are that sea level will rise significantly within the next few decades – at the end of the 21st century it is estimated that the sea level will, on average, be about one meter higher than today.

In South-East Asia and the Pacific Territories, the increase will be much higher. Worldwide, the consequences of this rise are already being felt. Water touches upon all the major issues of our time: climate change, security, energy supply, poverty, population growth, agriculture, urbanisation and migration. Recordings show what this means to the inhabitants of low-lying areas like the United Kingdom, Kiribati, Miami and Bangladesh. The investagation also includes vulnerable places like Greenland, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Fiji, Jakarta, New York and the Netherlands.

Rising tide visits people and places and investigates how rising sea level is affecting livelihoods and inspiring responses to counter the threat. Together with a local ‘host,’ the filmmaker checks out the current situation, sees what is being done to protect populations, and demonstrates how creatively (and positively) people are handling urgent situations.