<span class="word">Climate <span class="word">Change <span class="word">and <span class="word">Subsidence <span class="word">in <span class="word">Metro <span class="word">Manila: <span class="word">Relative <span class="word">Sea <span class="word">Level <span class="word">Projections <span class="word"><span class="changedDisabled">Through <span class="word">Tide <span class="word">Gauge <span class="word">Records <span class="word">and <span class="word">Satellite <span class="word">Altimetry <span class="word">up <span class="word">to <span class="word">2150
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Metro Manila, one of the world’s most densely populated megacities, is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise due to its low-lying deltaic location, frequent tropical cyclones, and rapid anthropogenic subsidence from groundwater extraction. This study integrates historical PSMSL tide-gauge records from Manila Harbour with IPCC AR6 projections under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, incorporating vertical land motion (VLM) and sea-level fingerprints to estimate local relative sea-level (RSL) changes. Assuming constant subsidence, cumulative VLM reaches –0.785 m by 2100 and –1.289 m by 2150. Including climatic contributions (amplified 10–20% by fingerprints, particularly under high-emission scenarios from far-field Antarctic ice loss in the western Pacific), projected RSL ranges from 1.09–1.42 m (SSP1-2.6) to 1.51–2.00 m (SSP5-8.5) by 2100, and from 1.70–2.28 m to 2.41–3.54 m by 2150. Results indicate 7.95–11.15 km² (1.2–1.8%) of land could face permanent ocean-connected inundation under high scenarios, mainly in Malabon (~18%), Navotas (~20%), and Manila (~7%). These conservative estimates (excluding aquaculture areas) are much lower than prior mid-century projections of up to 30%. Intensified chronic flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion threaten millions, requiring urgent integrated adaptation, groundwater regulation, and combined nature-based and engineered solutions.