Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

IMPACT OF SEA-LEVEL RISE ON CHIAYI COAST

Wen-Juinn Chen
Department of Civil and Water Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi
Abstract:
Many of evidences supporting that human induced global climate change has now began to emerge
environmental issues in the world. One of the major concerns related to climate change is raising
sea levels and their effect on coastal communities. Located on the western coast of Taiwan, Chiayi is
a traditionally agricultural county; most of the people rely on agriculture, aquaculture and fishery.
Due to over-extracted groundwater for aquaculture had incurred serious land subsidence around the
coastland. Now; Chiayi exposed many coastal disasters, such as shore erosion, wave overtopping,
coastal flooding, land and water resources salinization etc. We analyzed the tidal data measured at
Wenkung site during 1983~2003, the result shows that the relative sea level of ChiaYi coast has been
rising about 38~46 cm(including ground subsidence). Sea level rise will bring more seriously adverse
effects on the coastland, so how about the sea level rise will be impact to this county was assessed
in this paper. The result shows that the main affected area concentrated at the seashore villages as
Budai and DongShih regions, these two villages also suffered severe coast hazards caused by land
subsidence. 1m sea-level rise would affect more than 56 thousand people, with a 4812 hectares
inundated area and cause about 71.2 meters shoreline retreat and the economical loss may be
approached to $NT 48 billion. The more seriously problem is an offshore sand bar called Waisunding
will be disappeared, this barrier play as a physical breakwater to prevent wave and storm surge
attacked coast directly. However it is already migrating landward and thinning because of wave overwashed and a deficit in sediment supply, sea level rise will accelerate its submerged speed and
cause more severely coastal disasters to Chiayi.

I.
INTRODUCTION
Many of evidences supporting that human induced
global climate change has now began to emerge
environmental and socio-economic issues in the
world. One of the major concerns related to climate
change is raising sea levels and their effect on
coastal area. The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) reported in their
recently researches that sea level rose at an
average rate of 1.8mm/year between 1961 to 2003
and predicts that sea level rise by 2100 will be 18 ~
58 cm, an additional 10 to 20 cm are possible if the
recent surprising melting of polar ice sheets
continues. This phenomenon will bring the serious
threat to the lowland countries, Taiwan is a small
island country and the natural resources are
extremely limited, so that its coastal resources
became the primary ones that peoples livelihood
and economic developments depended upon.
Therefore, conservation and protection of coastal
resources has been one of the most important
policies of the government. Mainly due to serious
ground subsidence, the west coast of Taiwan is
suffering from storm surge, beach erosion, wave
overtopping,
low-lying
lands
flooding
and
groundwater salinization, etc. As sea level is rising,
all the disasters mention above will be more severely
in the future.

Chiayi County located on the western Taiwan (see

Figure 1), it is a traditionally agricultural county; most
of the people rely on agriculture, aquaculture and
fishery. Its coast is one of the most serious ground
subsidence regions in Taiwan, coastal community
inundation and beach erosion occurred frequently
(see Figure 2) and brings a huge impacts on socioeconomic and ecological system, The global climate
change will cause the serious influence on coast, the
coast of Chiayi is inevitable.

Figure 1. Location of Chiayi County

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Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

Figure 2. Disasters happened in Chiayi coastal region

In this paper, the impacts of sea-level rise on

inundation, coastal erosion, economic developing
and ecological system are discussed detail. All
results can provide in the future reference of assess
the suitable strategies in response to sea-level rise.
II.

SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATION IN CHIAYI

A. Global Tendency
Although the scientists believe that over the last
100 years, the global sea level has risen by about 10
to 25 cm, and IPCC(2007) indicated sea level rose at
an average rate of 1.8mm/year between 1961 to
2003, and the rise in sea level during 1993-2003 was
at an average rate of 3.1 mm/year. Does Chiayi's
sea level have rising? This question is really very
difficult to judge, because Chiayi coastal region have
a serious land subsidence, whether the benchmark
of tidal gauges do have every year to check? Also
did not know? For all that, but by the neighbor
country change tendency, we judge the Taiwan sea
level to be supposed also to be rise, Chiayi should
also be so. Iwasaki (2002) shows that since 1970,
the sea level approximately rose 7cm in Japans
west coast, Zhang et al. (2005) According to the
statistical analysis of the observed materials from the
25 coastal tide observatories of China; the sea
surface of Chinas coastal areas in general has been
ascending in the past decades. Before 1985 and
after that, the average ascending rate was 1.6mm/a
and 2.1mm/a respectively. Yanagi & Akaki(1994)
analyzes mean sea level variations in the eastern
Asia region during 1950 to 1991 with 16 stations, the
result shows the mean sea levels along the eastern
coasts of Japan and the Philippines, and that along
the southern coast of Indonesia have risen. State of
Oceanic Administration in China (SOA, 2008)
announced a gazette about sea water level for
China; it shows that in last 30 years, sea-level along
the Chinas coast has risen about 9cm. In Taiwan,
Tsuang et al. (1993) analyzed 14 tidal stations
around Taiwans coast and the results show that
sea-level in western coast has a ascending
tendency. Chen and Kuo (2000) also shows the
similar result from 16 tide observatories around
Taiwan, except the data of Taichung harbor, all the
tidal data measured from western coast
demonstrated the sea level has the rise tendency
mostly. This expressed sea-level in Chaiyi coast
should also have the rise possibility.
B. Sea-Level Variation in Chaiyi Coast
There existed a permanent tide station named
Wenkung located at the Chiayi coast, this station
has operated since 1963. In early time, because of

290

operation management question and equipment

failures, data loss problems occurred frequently.
And, because the spot of tide station has the
obvious ground subsidence, does another serious
issue is the datum which the tide gauge stands has
every year to adjust? Until now this question always
did not have the means to obtain the answer from
the administrative unit. Nevertheless, we still might
analyze the collection data, and defined as the sea
level fluctuation, i.e. regards as the relative sea-level
rise.
In Chiayi coast, Tsuang et al. (1993) analyzed tidal
data from Wenkung station, their result show a
ascending rate about 0.41 cm/year during
1970~2001, Chen and Kuo (2000) analyzed the data
during 1976~1996, they obtain the result of sea-level
has rose about 1.92cm/year, this variation is greater
than the global trend, the reason possibly was
contains the value contributed from ground
subsidence and crustal uplift etc. Because the
government has implemented some control
measures, the quantity of ground subsidence has
been gradually decreasing; its influence on sea level
rise will be weakening. Figure 3 shows the trend of
subsidence in Chiayi coastal area and Figure 4
shows sea-level fluctuation of Wengkung site during
1983~2003 computed in this paper. Though we
cannot determine whether the Chiayi sea-level rise is
really subject to the impact of climate change? but
the sea-level fluctuation in Wengkung show a
relative ascending tendency, Therefore, all impacts
come from sea-level rise will continue on to threaten
the coast of Chiayi.

Figure 3. Ground subsidence in Chiayi coastal region

Figure 4. Sea-level fluctuation in Wenkung

Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

III. IMPACTS OF SEA-LEVEL RISE

Chiayi coastal zone is an important region of life,
economic and ecological system, it is a diverse and
sensitive area, sea-level rise will bring the serious
impact, and therefore its vulnerability should be
researched. This section discussed the influence
which the sea level rise will cause.
A. Impact on coastal inundation
Since 1980, for needs on economics developing,
over-pumping of groundwater for aquaculture have
been caused the serious ground subsidence and this
situation has been extended to the entire Chiayi
coastal region. In addition, due to the population
growing needed and the publics pursuit of quality
livelihood, encroachments of the lands for waterways
for urban development spaces frequently happened.
Consequently, the watershed features was changed
and the originally natural hydrological environment
was harmed, then all of the drainage systems and
flood control facilities have reduced or lost their
function, then flood event has become a frequent
occurred hazard, especially in the land subsidence
areas and low-lying terrain, coastal zone such as
Budai, DongShih are the areas susceptible to
inundation. Now, not only in heavy rain or typhoon
season but also in normal spring tide period, the
most area situated within these two townships has
long suffered from serious inundation. Especially, In
recent year, the flood event brings the huge
economic loss in Chiayi, such as 72 flood event in
2004 caused about 4600 hectares inundation area
and NT$200 million budget loss, the 612 storm &
inundation event in 2005 let some low-lying area at
DongShih last two weeks inundation and caused
19000 hectares flooding area and NT$140 million
budget lost. Inundation problems have brought
seriously impacts on private and public property,
regional economic developing, crops production and
ecological habitat environment etc. We know,
Climate change may bring the extreme hydrological
events and cause sea level rise, then the risk of
coastal flooding will be increasing and the disasters
may be more seriously. So estimate the influence of
sea level rise on inundation region is need for
propose the mitigating strategy. Here, the SOBEK
was used to roughly simulate the influence of sea
level rise on inundation in DongShih. Figure 5 is an
example of simulated map of design rainfall intensity
for 25 year return period in local DongShih area, and
TABLE I shows the simulative results with different
rising level. It shows that under 10 year return period
design rainfall intensity, the maximum inundation
area and inundation depth will increases 17.42% and
8.75% respectively when sea level raise 100cm, the
inundation situation will increase to 28.69% and
19.81% under the 25 year return period design
rainfall intensity. Despite the plan Regulation Project
of Flood-prone Areas has been implemented
currently to effectively resolve inundation problems;
however, the simulated results show that sea-level
rise may lead to greater flooding disaster, so the
strategy must deal with as soon as possible to
prevent the threat come from sea-level rise and to

reduce flood damages due to extreme rainfall

intensity and excessive flood discharges.

Figure 5. Inundation simulated in DongShih

TABLE I.
SIMULATION RESULTS OF MAXIMUM INUNDATION SITUATION
Sea level
rise(cm)

Maximum
inundation Maximum
inundation
(10 year return period) (25 year return period)
area(ha)

Depth(m)

area(ha)

Depth(m)

3041.11

0.481

4425.60

0.535

25

3108.96

0.491

4452.00

0.539

50

3219.68

0.51

4541.12

0.555

75

3375.52

0.545

4658.08

0.584

100

3570.88

0.619

4812.64

0.641

B. Impact on coastal erosion

According to Kuo (1990), Chiayi coast is a high
potential area of erosion; since 1987, erosion rate
continued to increase due to lose sediment supplied
from rivers. Therefore, sea walls and detached
breakwaters are built for prevent shore erosion and
overtopping from wave and storm surge; however,
erosion continued to happen. Some sand bars
outside Budai and DongShih are eroded and drifted;
at Haumeiliao, shoreline retreated about 65m to 75
m and a large number of windbreaks withered
because of beaches lost and salt water intrusion, the
situations are more severe in typhoon season.
If sea-level is rising, the intensity and frequency of
coastal erosion will be strengthen, one of the most
significant impacts is aggravation of beach erosion,
so shoreline retreat with different ascending value
should be assessed. Figure 6 shows the results
computed in this paper, the solid line represented the
receded value calculated from Brunn Rule (1962)
and the dashed line is the modified result considered
with the effect of wave intensity increased with sealevel raise, i.e.

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Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

E s = E i

(1)

Where Ei is the wave energy for original water

level, Es is the wave energy after sea-level rise and
is the enhanced factor. When sea-level rise, surf
zone will be more shoreward and in that region the
strength of the waves will be heighten, then beach
erosion will be more obviously, therefore The retreat
quantity of the coastline will also increase. Here we
assume, when sea-level is rising, all the
contributions that afford to enlarge the wave energy
in the surf are considered in the coefficient , so
Es=Ei.

economical development of coastal populations.

Now, Waisunding suffering on erosion and drift by
wave attacked and low ground elevation change by
wind blew and wave over-washed.

Figure 7. Location of Waisunding barrier

Figure 6. Shoreline retreat with sea-level rise

The result shows the scenario of sea-level rise

adopted were 25, 50, 75 and 100cm, it has been
estimated from Brunn Rule that 30, 52.5, 71.2 and
83.5 m shorelines in Chayi coast would be retreated
due to sea-level rise respectively. If the influence
come from enhanced effect was considered, then
the retreat of shoreline will be increased to 41.0,
60.8, 76.9 and 87.0 meters. Shoreline erosion will
bring many dramatic impacts and to threaten the
coastal zone security, so it must assess carefully.
Although many researchers indicated the results
obtained from Brunn Rule are controvertible and
there are a number of specific problems should be
reviewed; nevertheless, it still as the most common
method used to estimate shoreline changes on sealevel rise. In order to understand the really impact of
sea-level rise on shore erosion, a detail study used
by numerical and physical model was under perform;
also, the changes affect by the wave energy
enlarged assumption will be checking in that study.
Another possible reason for intensified Chiayis
coastal erosion is the changes of Waisunding
barrier; Waisunding is the largest offshore sand bar
in Taiwan, it located at a shallow water region, where
outside about 6km from the seashore and it played
as a natural breakwater for prevent wave and storm
surge directly attack to Chiayi coast(see Figure 7). In
addition, the shoal region at its eastern side is an
important fishing ground and oysters culture zone;
therefore, any changes of this sand bar involving not
only the stability of the Chiayi coast, but also to the

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Figure 8 shows the area change of this barrier at

the same tidal level of 1996 and 2005; about 6.96
km2 of area was eroded by wave. Figure 9 shows the
evolution of its shape and position in 1904 and 2003;
it had drifted approximately 9.2 km southward and
3.1 km landward(Chen, 2006). In addition to the
drifting problem, the sand dune and elevation of this
barrier also have been seriously reduced by waves
and strong monsoon winds. Its surface was cut into
many tidal inlets and a large amount of area lost by
wave attack. At present the most of this barrier is
now almost totally submerged at high tide, this will
reduce its sheltered effect to Chiayi coast, and then
the risk of coastal disasters will be increasing.
If sea-level is rising, the situations suffer currently
will more serious and the coastal disasters
happened on Chiayi coast will even turn worse,
Therefore, research on the sea level rising also has
to study to the influence of Waisunding.

Figure 8. Area erosion between 1996 and 2005

Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

TABLE III.
MAIN PROFESSION TYPE AND PRODUCT BUDGET

Profession

Population

Agriculture
30768
Aquaculture
22571
Fishery
* including shallow sea culture

Figure 9. Evolution of Waisunding barrier

TABLE II shows the area of Waisunding will be

immerged when sea-level raise to 25, 50, 70, 100
cm respectively, this result is calculated from a
5mx5m DEM that generated from the data surveyed
by LIDAR in 2006, the value show in the table didnt
include the part erode by waves. Also at present, in
the highest tide it almost has already completely
submerged under the sea water level, these kind of
situations will reduce its protection to Chiayi coast,
so how to prevent Waisunding continue to erode and
submerge have to do urgently and the adverse
impacts caused by sea-level rise also must to study
detail. Says from the geomorphology viewpoint, this
barrier is an important natural asset of ecology and
geomorphology, we cannot let it disappear under the
sea level which gradually rises currently, this will be
our major challenge and the issue have to face.
TABLE II.
IMMERGED AREA UNDER SEA LEVEL RISE
2

Sea level rise (cm)

Immerged area(km

25
50
75
100

1.713
3.153
4.841
7.002

C. Impact on economics
According to the gazettes announced from the
Directorate General of Budget Accounting and
Statistics(2006,2007), in Budai, Donhshih and
Yitsue, exceeded 70% of people live within the
coastal region rely on fishery, farming and
aquaculture for living life, TABLE III shows the
population, area and a rough estimated production
budget for each profession.

Area(ha)
10314
10243*
12589

Product
budget
(million)
1134.54
4268.20
2938.20

All industries mentioned above are threatening by

continued ground subsidence; this caused the
stagnation of local economic development and gave
inconvenience to the residents work. It will be facing
a greater threat when sea-level is rising; especially,
agriculture and aquaculture will be subjected to the
influence by fresh water salinization. Because sealevel rise may affect water resources on land and
rivers, it will bring more salt water further upstream in
rivers, increasing the frequency with which salt water
is mixed with fresh water at intake pipes for industrial
and drinking supplies. In addition, sea-level rise will
cause the deterioration of the quality of ground and
rivers water, salinization of agriculture land etc., thus
will be lowering the productivity and causing some
socio-economic issues. If sea-level rise of 50 cm,
there are 40% of people will be unemployed or they
will change their vocations, and the economic loss
will be more than 22 billion. The loss will increased to
48 billion and more than 69% of coastal populations
will be influenced, if sea level ascends 100cm. This
will lead to serious socio-economic problems; the
government will have to spend a lot of funds to set
public relief, to create the employment opportunities
and to implement some policies to promote the
regional economics developing. Therefore, for
reduce the adverse impacts on agriculture,
aquaculture, fishery and husbandry; the related
government departments must be planning
countermeasures as soon as possible.
D. Impact on ecological system
There are some intertidal shoals and mud-flats
along Chiayi coast, also the shallow water region
between Waisunding barrier and mainland of Chiayi
is a tract of tidal flats, those areas are highly
productive and represent an important feeding
ground for bird populations and a nursery for fish and
other different organisms, so an environment of
biological diversity are created and they has become
an important habitats for marine and terrestrial
ecosystems. Due to their abundant of ecological
environment and rich of natural landscape, those
areas have been assigned to Southwest Coast
National Scenic Area, and there are three important
wetlands distributed along the Chiayi coast, that is
Oweko, Putsu Estuary and Haumeliao. These three
coastal wetlands have become the famous scenic
spot for eco-tourism and eco- teaching, TABLE IV is
the background introduction for these wetlands.

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Chinese-German Joint Symposium on Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, August 24-30, 2008, Darmstadt

TABLE IV.
MAIN PROFESSION TYPE AND PRODUCT BUDGET

Title

Oweko

Putsu Estuary

Haumeliao

Type

Salt marshes;
includes salt
meadows,
saltings, raised
salt marshes.

Intertidal
forested
wetlands;
includes
mangrove
swamps, nipa
swamps and
tidal
freshwater
swamp
forests.

Intertidal
forested
wetlands;
includes
mangrove
swamps, nipa
swamps and
tidal
freshwater
swamp
forests.

Area

1500 hectares

2317 hectares

861 hectares

Species

Plants:290
Birds:206

More than 168

More than 266

Influence
by SLR

18% by 50cm
35% by 100cm

31% by 50cm
46% by 100cm

49% by 50cm
67% by 100cm

Because of the severe ground subsidence, partial

wetlands area has permanent drowned by sea
water, and then its range was diminished. Therefore
causes the wind-break forest and the mangroves to
wither or decompose, also water density, turbidity,
salinity, penetration of sunlight and sedimentation
etc., will be changed too. These situations alter the
environment of the ecological habitats, the rich
ecosystem of the area is regarded as being under
constant threat, some rare and endemic species
vanish gradually and the entire ecosystem may be
destroyed or an external ecosystem will be intruded.
Sea-level rise will let above ecological hazard event
to become more serious and complicate. After
assessed from the inundant area, a 50cm rise in
sea-level will cause 28% of wetland loss their
function, the influenced range will increase to 49%, if
100cm of rising value. On the other hand,
Waisunding also is an ecological and environmental
tourist spot, sea-level rise will be submerged most of
the area and causes the ecosystem to vanish or
change. When sea-level rising to 100cm, 69% of the
ecological system will be disappeared. If ecosystem
in waisunding and coastal wetlands are changing,
then the serious ecological crisis will occur and many
rare species will disappear. These will cause the
results very difficult to imagine. So how to reduce the
ecological system by the threat of rising sea levels
and how to maintain the sustainable environment
should immediately study, at the same time
conservation policy should also be developed
simultaneously.
IV. CONCLUSION
Because of lack of land resources and absent of
the industrial and commercial activities, economic
development in Chiayi's coastal area is very
laggardly, most of people rely on fishery and
aquaculture, i.e. extremely rely on coastal
resources. At the same time the coastal areas of
Chiayi have many diverse wetland ecosystems, they
are the hot spots for eco-tourism and heritage and
cultural teaching. However, Due to the seriously

294

ground subsidence and frequent attacked by

typhoon, storm surge and heavy rain, Chiayi
coastland is suffering on many coastal disasters, the
primary cause is the ground subsidence. In this
paper, some impacts cause by sea-level rise has
already described, if sea-level raise to 100cm, 71.2
m shoreline may be retreated and 7.0 km2 area of
Waisunding barrier will be immerged, also a
4812.64 hectares low-lying land will be inundated
with a 25 year return period design rainfall intensity.
In coastal townships, 56 thousand residents may be
affected by sea-level rise and the economic lost may
be reached about $NT 48 billion. All of those
mentioned above are the countable impacts; some
uncountable and un-direct loss such as, change of
environment, ecologic and local culture may be
more serious and un-estimated.
Although due to the effect of ground subsidence,
at present we doesnt have the certainly evidence to
confirm Chiayis coast truly has occurred the sea
level rising. However; it could be regard as a
situation of relative sea-level rise, then all the
analysis results can be referred to response the
sea-level rise. For responding the impacts of climate
change, to maintain the conservation of Chiayi coast
and let the coastal resources and environment can
be sustainable development; detail study on sealevel rise and its impact must be doing now.
Furthermore; integrated response strategy must
assess and issue quickly, meanwhile a feasible
management policy must implements for creating a
sustainable coastal environment in Chiayi.
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