Relative sea level rise and its effects on environment and resources in China’s coastal areas

Abstract

Due to global climate warming and natural and man-made land subsidence etc., relative sea level rise in the coastal plains of China will exceed 2–3 times over the golbal mean value during the first half part of the 21st century. It will result in a series of adverse impacts on evolution of natural environment and socioeconomic development of the coastal area. This paper analyses environmental and resource effects induced by relative sea level rise in China’s coastal areas on the basis of rough estimate of future relative sea level rise. These effects include inundating tidal flat and wetlands and increase in inundated risk of coastal habitable land, exacerbating storm surge. coastal erosion, flooding and salt water intrusion hazards, as well as endangering land, water, tourism and living resources and their utilization.