China’s coastal regions are in urgent need of enhancing shoreline protection and adaptation capacity to cope with the rising sea levels, according to a report released by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
In the coming 30 years, the country’s coastal sea levels are estimated to rise by 68 mm to 170 mm, said the annual report recording the sea-level changes in China, which was released by the ministry’s department of oceanic monitoring and early warning.
Last year’s coastal sea levels, reaching an all-time high since 1980, surpassed the average levels recorded in previous years by 84 mm, the report said.
In the past 40 years, China’s coastal sea levels rose at a pace of 3.4 mm per year, faster than the global average, the report said, adding that higher sea levels could worsen consequences of ocean disasters.
Last year, most cases of storm surges and floods in coastal cities occurred between July and October, the yearly period of high sea level, the report said.
