China’s sea levels touched record high in 2021: Study

Rising water temperature, melting of glaciers and polar icecaps caused sea levels in China to reach a record high, rising by 84 mm in 2021, the Chinese government said in a report.

Quoting a recent bulletin released by the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Centre, Reuters said coastal sea levels rose by 84 mm (3.3), higher than the average recorded between 1993 and 2011.

Ascribing the rise in sea levels to climate change, the report said it was impacting the development of coastal regions. The report also advised authorities to strengthen the monitoring system as well as issue early warnings and take adequate prevention measures.

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The alarming rise in sea levels as seen last year could lead to erosion of coastal ecosystems, loss of tidal flats, putting coastal cities at the risk of floods and salt tides, the centre said in the report.

Coastal sea levels in the country have been rising by 3.4 mm (0.13 inch) since 1980. Even though temperature of sea water along China’s coast saw a slight fall in 2021 when compared to 2020, it was still the third highest on record and 0.84 degrees Celsius above the 1993-2011 average, Reuters said.

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Calling for increased efforts to protect the country’s coastline and dangerous flood situations, China’s environment ministry in 2021 had forecast the coastal water levels to rise by another 55mm to 170 mm (2 inches to 7 inches) in the next 30 years.