WHILE it is unlikely that Nadi will be under water by 2028, there will be frequent floods as rising sea levels inhibit the river's ability to drain the area.
Meteorologist Neville Koop was responding to estimation made at a recent climate change seminar in Sydney where scientists said the 52 island nations of the South Pacific would suffer as a result of climate change.
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) predicted a rise in sea level rise by 59 centimetres by 2100.
That they predict was enough to submerge some lower-lying atolls in the South Pacific region.
"The IPCC, in their report of 2007, did suggest that 59cm was the likely rise in sea level by the year 2100, but in the past year or so more detailed research has estimated that this might be closer to 100-110cm, or just over a metre, by the end of the century," he said.
"Island countries, by virtue of their small land area and relatively low elevation, especially atoll countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati, mean that they will see the impacts first.
"With even 25cm sea level rise, which may occur by 2025, we will see coastal regions subject to flooding more regularly when storm surges and high swells occur.
"These extreme events might change from one in 50-year events to 1 in 20 or 15-year events.
"The impacts of sea flooding in cyclones cause the major destruction, destroying coastal houses, roads, ports and other infrastructure.
"Sea inundation of agricultural land destroys crops, causing ongoing hardship and economic losses.
"We can expect this to be a major issue around the Pacific in coming years."
Mr Koop said island countries are at the forefront and he called on the Pacific Islands Forum along with the regional environmental organisations to be busy now to ensure that the preparations are in place to deal with future sea level rise.