China’s Relentless Campaign to Pave the Coast
'They’re completely industrializing the coastal ecosystem.’
While the development isn’t expected to have a direct environmental effect outside of China, the massive reclamation work could be of global significance within the coming century, Fletcher adds. While low-lying reclaimed lands might initially absorb some of China’s population growth, rising sea levels could mean that they ultimately contribute to a worldwide flood of climate refugees.
“These are lands,” Fletcher says, “that are going to have to be abandoned.”