The sea level along China's coastal areas will rise 0.032 meter in the next decade, according to a report by the State Oceanic Administration.

The average increase in sea level was about 25 millimeters (0.0025 meters) a year in the past 30 years, slightly higher than the world's average, according to the administration's 2007 Sea Level Bulletin, released early this month.

China's total sea level rise in the past 30 years was 0.09 meter. Among all the coastal areas, Tianjin saw the fastest speed of sea level rise, with a total increase of 0.196 meter, while Shanghai had a rise of 0.115 meters.

However, the sea level rise seems to have gained speed in recent years, as climate change intensifies. Meanwhile, coastal areas in both north and south China suffered more often from abnormal temperature rise and oceanic disasters, the Bulletin said.

"We need to work on plans to deal with sea level rise before it is too late," said Wang Pinxian, an oceanographer with Shanghai Tongji University.

He said it is less likely that any coastal cities will be submerged by the sea in near future, but China will need to tackle other problems resulting from sea level rise such as the back flow of sea water into underground water.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2008)