Rapid risk assessment of wetland degradation and loss in low-lying coastal zone of Shanghai, China

Coastal wetlands are facing an increasingly high risk of degradation and loss due to a wide variety of human activities and natural processes. Human encroachment, including land reclamation, drainage, and introduction of invasive species, has direct negative effects on wetlands, mainly through changes in hydrology and vegetation. Additionally, accelerated sea level rise (SLR) can result in flooding of wetlands in low-lying coastal zones. In this study, we present a rapid risk assessment method for coastal wetland loss and degradation. The main stress factors, i.e., urban sprawl, agriculture, coastal erosion, and SLR, have been examined and quantified through remote sensing and geographic information system spatial analysis. A weighted factor-based linear model has been used to evaluate the spatial risk levels of wetland loss. The proposed methodology is applied to the low-lying coastal wetlands of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China. The results show that the regions closer to the sea have relatively higher risk levels on the landward side of the coastline, but relatively low risk levels on the seaward side of the coastline. This work emphasizes the need to sustainably use and protect wetlands in order to reduce disaster risks and contribute to the improvement of human well-being.