China’s rich coastal cities to see sea-level rise up to 20% higher than global average

AI Summary

Scientists warn that sea-level rise in Hong Kong and Shanghai could be 15–20% higher than the global average because melting Antarctic ice redistributes ocean water through gravitational shifts. The increased exposure could threaten densely populated Chinese coastal cities even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C.

International scientists warn that rising sea levels driven by melting Antarctic ice will be 15 to 20 per cent higher in cities such as Hong Kong and Shanghai compared with the global average. They said gravitational shifts caused by shrinking Antarctic ice would redistribute water across the globe, causing higher ocean levels along China’s densely populated coastlines. “Even if we limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius [2.7 degrees Fahrenheit], the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious goal,...