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NEWS: Coastal wetlands are unable to adapt to the rate of sea-level rise and are constrained by infrastructure

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Wetlands, precious ecosystems that shield coastlines, safeguard drinking water from saltwater contamination, and nourish diverse wildlife, face a dire threat from the accelerating pace of sea-level rise, driven by global warming. Wetlands have historically adapted to rising sea levels by expanding upward and inland. However, predictions indicate that the waterline will soon shift far too rapidly for wetlands to keep pace. Consequently, future decades may witness the tragic loss of these vital wetland ecosystems. Wetlands along coastlines have historically played valuable roles for people and wildlife, but are now facing the threat of sea-level rise. As temperatures rise, sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, and wetlands are unable to keep pace by building upward and migrating inland. This is due to human-induced climate change and the burning of fossil fuels, which has warmed the oceans and melted glaciers. Sea levels are now rising at about 10 millimeters per year, and are
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NEWS: Germany’s construction slump ‘taking longer than expected’

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Germany’s construction sector is set to remain subdued throughout 2024 as a slump sparked by its worst property crisis in decades takes longer to resolve than expected.


Germany’s construction spending is forecast to fall in 2024 for the first time since 2009 and the fallout from the financial crisis, according to a study by the DIW economic institute and seen by Reuters.

A separate study by Ifo economic institute showed that sentiment in residential construction is at an all-time low.

Rapidly rising interest rates, combined with a surge in costs has pushed some developers in Germany into insolvency.

A new DIW study predicts that construction volume will shrink by 3.5% in 2024 to €546 billion (US$597.3 billion), before recovering by 0.5% in 2025, according to Reuters.

Laura Pagenhardt, an author of the study, said, “The slump in the construction industry is taking longer than expected.”

The Ifo survey showed a fall in sentiment in residential construction to -58.6 points in December, down from -54.4 in November. It was the lowest level since Ifo began tracking the index.

Tim-Oliver Mueller, head of the German Construction Industry Federation said, “Berlin, we have a problem. We are not talking about abstract things, but about affordable housing, which is urgently needed.”

The source of this hardhatNEWS is Construction Briefing

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