China Sees $2.6 Billion Loss on Climate-Linked Storms, Sea Level

By Bloomberg News Mar 20, 2014 2:07 AM PT

China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, estimated the direct economic loss from rising sea levels and storm waves linked to climate change last year increased to the highest level since 2008.

The loss reached 16.3 billion yuan ($2.6 billion), compared with a 10-year average of 15.1 billion yuan, data from the State Oceanic Administration showed. Storm waves caused 94 percent of the damage, the administration said, with 121 people killed.

Southern Guangdong province suffered the most, with damage totaling 7.44 billion yuan, followed by Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, it said in a statement yesterday.

Rising seas threaten cities including Guangzhou, Shanghai and Tianjin, forcing China to strengthen defenses for the coast and environment.

Climate change warms the seas and raises their level, leading to intensified storms and typhoons, flooding, coastal erosion and soil salinization, the authority said.

Sea levels rose 2.9 millimeters (0.1 inch) on average every year since 1980 in China, faster than the global rate, it said.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Feifei Shen in Beijing at fshen11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net Tony Barrett, Amanda Jordan

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