Datasets and codes for manuscript "Development policy affects coastal risk in China more than sea-level rise"

Effective coastal risk assessments are crucial for adaptively managing threats from sea-level rise (SLR). Despite recent advancements, global and regional assessments remain limited by omitting critical factors like land-use change, oversimplifying land subsidence, and failing to disaggregate potential impacts across different land uses. This study addresses these gaps by developing context-specific scenarios based on a comprehensive analysis of Chinese coastal development policies. We integrate high-resolution simulations of population and land system changes with inundation exposure assessments that incorporate SLR, land subsidence, tides, and storm surges, offering a more nuanced understanding of coastal risks. Our findings reveal that transitioning from strict ecological protection to aggressive economic development policies significantly alters the land systems exposed to flooding. While SLR and subsidence affect flood hazard (inundation and depth), policy scenarios dictate exposure (and vulnerability) of land functions. The analysis sheds new light on who has agency for managing coastal risk.