Recent research has revealed that global sea levels are significantly higher than previously estimated, posing an increased risk to coastal areas worldwide. A study by Katharina Seeger and Philip Minderhoud from Wageningen University indicates that 90% of coastal vulnerability assessments underestimated sea levels due to a 'methodological blind spot.' This oversight means that flooding and erosion could occur sooner than anticipated, affecting tens of millions of people, particularly in South-East Asia and Oceania.