Rising sea levels and their potential impacts on coastal communities have been well documented in recent years, however a new study released by Nature Communications just this past month (October, 2019) has revealed new predictions highlighting up to 300 million people potentially being adversely affected by rising sea levels in the coming decades.

Northern China has been identified as one of the regions in Asia that will see the most number of people affected in coastal...
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  • TA fishing boat lies in a colourful small river that has formed in the lower reaches of the Yellow River estuary which marks the southernmost boundary of Bohai Bay. Shandong province, China. 2019
  • A dead fish and starfish lie on the ground of a fishing dock in Jinsha island in Hebei Province. Various shapes and sizes of structures are used to try to protect this region which suffers from severe coastal erosion. China, 2019
  • Discarded fishing equipment lie on an oil-stained beach at Laomi Gukou in Hebei province. Bohai Bay is home to some of China's largest reserves of oil and gas, making it a centre for oil exploration. The region has suffered from a number of oil spills in recent decades which continue to effect local ecosystems. 2019
  • Discarded fishing equipment lie on an oil-stained beach at Laomi Gukou in Hebei province. Bohai Bay is home to some of China's largest reserves of oil and gas, making it a centre for oil exploration. The region has suffered from a number of oil spills in recent decades which continue to effect local ecosystems. 2019
  • A diver takes a break from harvesting sea cucumbers on a farm on Bohai Bay in Hebei Province, northern China. Sea cucumbers are sensitive to rising temperatures and harvest numbers have dropped in years when the water temperature is higher than average, leading to concerns about the future of local aquaculture with a warming climate. 2019
  • A man searches for shells by the remains of an unidentified structure, near the megacity of Tianjin in north-east China. Major infrastructure that supports the daily functioning of the city is often the first impacted as storm surges hit and sea levels rise. The city also has problems with land subsidence which exacerbates the problems faced. 2019
  • A sea wall which protects part of Tianjin port. The port has been built largely on reclaimed land and is now one of the busiest port cities in the world. It is protected predominantly by sea walls of various shapes and sizes which help shelter the coastline and the ships delivering goods in and out of northern China. 2019
  • A pier juts into Bohai Bay at Tianjin port. The port has been built largely on reclaimed land and is now one of the busiest port cities in the world. It is protected predominantly by sea walls of various shapes and sizes which help shelter the coastline and the ships delivering goods in and out of northern China. 2019
  • A sea wall protects Dongjiang port in Tianjin. The port has been built largely on reclaimed land and is now one of the busiest port cities in the world. It is protected predominantly by sea walls of various shapes and sizes which help shelter the coastline and the ships delivering goods in and out of northern China. 2019
  • A masked man stands on a seawall in the port city of Tianjin, in north-east China. Much of the port has been built on reclaimed land and now serves as one of China's busiest maritime hubs. According to an article in the South China Morning Post, "Artificial seawalls now stretch along some 60 per cent of the mainland's coastline...destroying or severely disrupting the natural function of lush wetland, much of which is earmarked for reclamation. This increases pollution that threatens water bird populations, degrades inshore and oceanic environments, and leaves coastal populations more vulnerable to extreme weather events such as typhoons." As sea levels are predicted to rise in northern China, sea walls will be the first line of defence for the people in Tianjin, however severe storm surges have the potential to threaten these defences. Behind the sea walls, land subsidence in areas of the city is also adding to the threat of flooding, leading experts to warn of lingering dangers to the city's 11,000,000 residents.
  • Tianjin has been dubbed the 'city of bridges' for the large number and variety of bridges found throughout the city. As sea levels rise and storm surges increase, the city's infrastructure will be the first to be impacted and be put under stress from the changing environment. 2019
  • A man harvests clams from the riverbed at low tide in downtown Tianjin. Coastal erosion is already a severe problem for much of the low lying land in the region and is predicted to get worse as climate change impacts continue to intensify. 2019
  • A fisherman journeys along a river at low tide in downtown Tianjin. Coastal erosion is already a severe problem for much of the low lying land in the region and is predicted to get worse as climate change impacts continue to intensify. 2019
  • Wells extract oil from the oilfields which lie near the megacity of Tianjin and off the coast in Bohai Bay which is home to some of China's largest reserves of oil and gas, making it a centre for oil exploration. The region has suffered from a number of oil spills in recent decades which continue to effect local ecosystems. 2019
  • A windfarm near the Bahai Bay coast. This stretch of coastline has been identified as one of the most vulnerable in China and will be one of the first to feel climate change impacts including rising sea levels and increased storm surges. China, 2019.
  • Birds fly over a field in the lower reaches of the Yellow River estuary which marks the southernmost boundary of Bohai Bay. The nationally protected estuary region faces severe threats from rising sea levels which have already impacted the area. Shandong province, China. 2019
  • A tree is reflected in flooded land in the lower reaches of the Yellow River estuary which marks the southernmost boundary of Bohai Bay. The nationally protected estuary region faces severe threats from rising sea levels which have already impacted the area. Shandong province, China. 2019
  • A tree in the lower reaches of the Yellow River estuary which marks the southernmost boundary of Bohai Bay. The nationally protected estuary region faces severe threats from rising sea levels which have already impacted the area. Shandong province, China. 2019
  • Tourists visit the lower reaches of the Yellow River estuary which marks the southernmost boundary of Bohai Bay. The nationally protected estuary region faces severe threats from rising sea levels which have already impacted the area. Shandong province, China. 2019
  • A sea wall protects Dongjiang port in Tianjin. The port has been built largely on reclaimed land and is now one of the busiest port cities in the world. It is protected predominantly by sea walls of various shapes and sizes which help shelter the coastline and the ships delivering goods in and out of northern China. 2019
  • A sea wall protects Dongjiang port in Tianjin. The port has been built largely on reclaimed land and is now one of the busiest port cities in the world. It is protected predominantly by sea walls of various shapes and sizes which help shelter the coastline and the ships delivering goods in and out of northern China. 2019
  • Salt fields in Shandong province. Saline groundwater provides the perfect place to produce raw salt which is harvested in many areas along the coast line of Bohai Bay. China, 2019
  • A bird flies over Shijiutuo island, a newly developed ecological park for tourists in Hebei province, China. Lying on the shores of Bohai Bay, this region of coastline has been identified as severely prone to coastal erosion and at high risk of flooding. 2019.
  • A bird flies over land that is used for aquaculture in Hebei province, China. In the background an unidentified factory also sits within metres of sea level. This area of coastline has been identified as prone to land subsidence and at threat from rising sea levels and flooding. 2019
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