Mitigation of Seawater Intrusion in the Pearl River Delta
Xinni Yao, MLWS 2025
This project investigated the increasingly severe problem of seawater intrusion in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), one of most populated and economically vital deltaic regions in China. The combined impacts of sea level rise (SLR), decreased freshwater discharge from upstream, sand mining, and intensive urbanization are driving salinization across both urban and rural areas. These changes threaten freshwater supplies for major cities like Zhuhai and Macao, reduce agricultural productivity, and degrade fragile estuarine ecosystems. The report outlined the global trends of SLR and explains why the PRD is especially vulnerable due to its low elevation and high urbanization. Although the PRD has implemented several responses, which includes upstream reservoir coordination, salinity monitoring networks, and major water transfer infrastructure, these efforts remain limited in scale and predominantly reactive. Through a comparative case study approach, successful adaptation measures from the Netherlands (Delta Works) and Vietnam (Mekong Delta) were assessed for their relevance and potential adaptation in the PRD context. The study proposed to have a trial on storm surge barriers that adapts engineering controls to selected areas, improved cross-jurisdictional governance, and agricultural adaptation through integrated aquaculture systems.
