As sea levels rise in coming years, younger people will move inland, while aging populations will be stuck with the growing risk in coastal areas, a Florida State University professor and researchers have concluded.
“Older populations are the least likely to migrate, and climate migration could accelerate population aging in origin areas,” reads the abstract of the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research also found that destination communities, where younger people will be moving, will need more services as populations rise, including construction, medical and other services, Associate Professor of Sociology Matt Hauer said, according to FSU and News Wise.
Hauer’s research has examined the demographic impact of climate change for the past several years. The latest study looked strictly at sea-level rise.
“As the percentage of the population lost due to climate migration increases, the median age also increases—up to 10+ years older in some highly impacted coastal counties,” the study notes.