China’s oceanic authority calls for measures on rising sea levels

BEIJING — China's oceanic authority on March 19 called for measures to cope with rising sea levels.

A report released by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said that the average sea level along China's coast in 2017 was 58 mm higher than the average level between 1993 and 2011.

In the past six years, the sea level along China's coast had remained at a high level compared with the pervious 24 years.

The situation is the result of climate change and global warming, which have increased the temperature of China's coastal regions and the ocean, according to the report.

Rising sea levels will increase the area inundated by sea water, aggravate marine disasters, and harm the ecosystem, said Chen Zhi, an SOA official.

The report said the ability to prevent and respond to disasters should be improved.

The layout of coastal cities and infrastructure planning should take the rising sea levels into account.

Emergency shelters and warehouses for disaster relief supplies should be located a safe distance from high-risk areas with rising sea levels, the report said.

Coastal cities should also verify the flood protection ability and upgrade design standards for important infrastructure projects in the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the coastal area of Bohai.

The report called for protecting ecological resources, including coastal mangroves, swamps, and reeds.

The report also called for the management of coastal water resources to be strengthened, saying that the overexploitation of groundwater and land subsidence in coastal regions should be controlled in order to reduce the harm caused by salt tide, sea water encroachment, and soil salinization.

The report proposed pushing forward international cooperation in global marine governance, such as observation and prediction, risk assessment, and the response to rising sea levels.