New Orleans, Louisiana

If you were to look at a map of New Orleans, you’d notice some sharp, thick grey borders in the center of it. The city’s system of levees protects it from the swarm of red buildings up from Lake Maurepas in the north and Lake Salvador and Little Lake in the south.

Without those defenses, this city would be severely endangered by future coastal flooding. But the damage looks catastrophic even with them. The Jean Lafitte and Biloxi wildlife preserves look especially vulnerable. On the map, both appear almost completely submerged.

Bruges, Belgium

Along with much of the low-lying North Sea shoreline, Belgium’s coastline and charming seaside towns are incredibly vulnerable to future coastal flooding. And so is the scenic city of Bruges in the country’s northwest.

This UNESCO World Heritage site is well-known for its cobbled streets, winding waterways, and striking bell tower. But floods could severely damage its magnificent medieval center.

Venice, Italy

In the very immediate future, this historic city faces a double threat: the city is sinking by two millimeters each year, and sea levels are rising.

The Venetian capital has already been hit by severe flooding, and climate change is most likely to increase the frequency of future coastal flooding that submerge it. Like New Orleans, Venice has a system of flood-defense system in place.

But as the crisis deepens, they’ll be more difficult, not to mention expensive, to maintain.