China’s coastal zone shifts from land-dependent to green and sustainable development

• Coastal reclamation in China declined after 2012 despite ongoing economic growth. • Strong environmental policies have reduced land expansion pressures. • Policy-driven land-use shifts offer a path toward sustainable coastal development. Coastal reclamation poses a significant threat to the ecological integrity and sustainability of China’s coastal zone, prompting the implementation of stricter regulatory controls in recent years. However, a comprehensive understanding of long-term reclamation dynamics and the effectiveness of conservation initiatives over the past few decades remains limited. This study first quantified reclaimed areas and analyzed their spatial variability across multiple spatiotemporal scales using remote sensing-based land use and land cover change dataset (1990−2020). We then evaluated long-term trends in reclamation activities in relation to economic growth and policy interventions, which were hypothesized as primary drivers of reclamation dynamics. Our results indicate that land reclamation occurred extensively across all coastal regions, with the largest cumulative reclaimed areas concentrated in Shandong, Liaoning, and Jiangsu provinces. Each of these provinces exceeded 1,800 km², collectively accounting for approximately 11,592.0 km² of reclaimed land from 1990 to 2020. Reclamation expanded rapidly during 2000−2012 (slope = 40.9 km 2 /yr), followed by a pronounced decline post−2012 (slope = −38.0 km 2 /yr). This transition coincided with the implementation of policy-driven conservation measures, including the establishment of protected areas. Nevertheless, substantial spatial heterogeneity in reclamation patterns persisted, which reflected the influence of local development priorities and the variable effectiveness of regional conservation strategies. These findings suggest that China’s coastal zone is undergoing a transformative shift from land-dependent development toward greener and more sustainable pathways. This study provides robust scientific evidence to support coastal management and offers critical insights for policymakers and stakeholders addressing coastal sustainability challenges at both regional and global scales.