Mumbai 2050

Overview

This map was a winner of Felt's "QGIS + Felt" mapping challenge, posted on Reddit in July 2023.

Methodology

Using the projections of Climate Central detailed in a 2019 New York Times article, I used the QGIS georeferencing feature to make a GeoJSON of Mumbai's new projected sea level rise by 2050. I then added population hexagons from the Kontur population data set and a polygon layer of informal settlements, to understand the population density in the projected submerged areas. I then imported this data into Felt and styled the population data as choropleth.

Conclusions

Through this visualization, one can clearly understand that such sea level rise would be catastrophic not just for the city's "historic downtown core" as mentioned in the article, but even more so for the most vulnerable populations living in informal settlements across the city.

Explore the Felt map here!