The sea level along China's coastal areas will rise 0.032 meter
in the next decade, according to a report by the State Oceanic
Administration.
The average increase in sea level was about 25 millimeters
(0.0025 meters) a year in the past 30 years, slightly higher than
the world's average, according to the administration's 2007 Sea
Level Bulletin, released early this month.
China's total sea level rise in the past 30 years was 0.09
meter. Among all the coastal areas, Tianjin saw the fastest speed
of sea level rise, with a total increase of 0.196 meter, while
Shanghai had a rise of 0.115 meters.
However, the sea level rise seems to have gained speed in recent
years, as climate change intensifies. Meanwhile, coastal areas in
both north and south China suffered more often from abnormal
temperature rise and oceanic disasters, the Bulletin said.
"We need to work on plans to deal with sea level rise before it
is too late," said Wang Pinxian, an oceanographer with Shanghai
Tongji University.
He said it is less likely that any coastal cities will be
submerged by the sea in near future, but China will need to tackle
other problems resulting from sea level rise such as the back flow
of sea water into underground water.
(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2008)
