Shanghai, 2.4 million inhabitants exposed
Shanghai -- the name in Chinese means "above the sea" -- is a low-lying city in the Yangtze River Delta. Researchers warn it is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to both its geography, and because of human factors: with upwards of 23 million people in the metro area, the city's drainage system needs improvement and lack of regulation has encouraged excessive construction in exposed areas. In the meantime, rising sea levels continue to wear away at the delta soil on which the city sits. Above, people take photos along the Bund as storm clouds gather over the Huangpu River in Shanghai.
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