A Finnish-German research predicts that global sea levels could rise by as much as 1.9 meters by the end of this century, much faster than expected, Finnish media reported Tuesday.

Martin Vermeer of Helsinki University of Technology in Finland and Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany obtained the result on the base of data measuring ocean surface levels and sea temperature in the past 130 years.

Since 1990, sea levels have been rising at 3.4 millimeters per year, twice as fast as on average over the 20th century. And the sea level would rise increasingly quickly as the globe got warmer, said the scientists.

The rise threatens the existence of many coastal metropolises as well as small island countries.

To avert the threat, greenhouse emissions should be significantly cut as soon as possible, warned the scientists.