Atlantic City and Miami Beach: two takes on tackling the rising waters

What it's about:

Atlantic City and Miami Beach are two famed coastal tourist spots in the United States facing the same challenge: floods due to rising sea levels. 

Still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, which battered much of Atlantic City in 2012, the area is trying to cope with frequent flash floods. Cars, businesses and homes are susceptible to damage while people are often left stranded as they wait for the floods to clear. 

In the Miami Beach area too, seas are rising fast - at around 9mm a year, far more than the 3mm a year global average.

By contrast Miami Beach is spending $400m on a network of pumps, sea walls and raised streets in order to beat the tides, which critics say could lead to “climate gentrification," with wealthier residents and neighbourhoods better protected. 

Credit: Laurence Mathieu-Leger, Oliver Milman and Michael Landsberg, The Guardian

Why it's noteworthy:

Flooding events have increased seven-fold in Atlantic City since the 1950s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and look set to keep menacing the Miami Beach area too.

With no overarching national sea level rise plan in the United States and varying commitments from individual states, many coastal communities - particularly lower-income neighbourhoods - are being left to fend for themselves as water encroaches on the land.

This piece highlights how local income levels can make a difference to the way a city or community is capable of adapting to climate change effects, even in rich nations.