Here's What China Will Look Like if Sea Levels Rise 60m

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that if the current trajectory of worldwide climate change and cryosphere melt continue unabated, the planet's sea levels will rise dramatically, submerging major population centers around the world. 

Although it may be centuries before this future is realized, cartographer Jeffrey Linn produced these maps for ChinaFile projecting what might happen to major cities along China's coast, which is home to 43 percent of the country's population.

In short, it does not look promising.

QINGDAO

SHANGHAI

HAIKOU, LEIZHOU and ZHANJIANG

HONG KONG and SHENZHEN

PEARL RIVER DELTA

TAIWAN

READ MORE: China 'heating up twice as fast as rest of the world,' says country's top meteorologist

[Images via ChinaFile]