Scientists debate impact of rising sea levels on country's coastal environment

Average sea levels are rising faster in China's coastal region than most other places in the world, affecting the coastal environment in various ways, the national marine authority said.

Instead of only threatening the relocation of communities and homes in the short term, rising seas are also causing damage to coastal soil and vegetation.

Chinese scientists are still studying and debating how long the trend of rising sea levels is going to continue. Sea levels started rising in the 1980s, and the trend is likely to continue, even accelerate, because of climate change, according to marine officials.