16 Coastal Cities’ Adaptation to Climate Change

The economically, socially, and culturally most developed areas worldwide are located predominantly along the coastlines. Socio-economic development has accumulated large populations and high value assets in coastal cities while coastal cities have become prone to climate change effects. Sea level rise, tropical cyclones, rainstorms, floods, storm surges, high temperatures, and heat waves have posed new challenges to coastal city development. Domestic and foreign coastal cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen, Hong Kong, New York, London, Singapore, and Cape Town are analyzed on their current climate change adaptation techniques. Governments and communities along the coasts should be aware of the influences and consequences of climate change, and should not focus all of their energy on energy conservation and emissions reduction technologies. They should also take active measures to adapt to climate change, protect wetlands, estuaries, and alluvial plains along the coasts, slow down coastal erosion and enhance natural defense capabilities. Keywords: climate change; coastal cities