diff --git a/AUTHORS.md b/AUTHORS.md
index d5fe7f2390..a45b407f71 100644
--- a/AUTHORS.md
+++ b/AUTHORS.md
@@ -29,3 +29,4 @@
 * Raphael Portmann
 * Nicolas Colombi
 * Leonie Villiger
+* Kam Lam Yeung
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 212cf96388..7e657dccf7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Code freeze date: YYYY-MM-DD
 
 ### Changed
 
+- Add `shapes` argument to `geo_im_from_array` to allow flexible turning on/off of plotting coastline in `plot_intensity`. [#805](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/805)
 - Update `CONTRIBUTING.md` to better explain types of contributions to this repository [#797](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/797)
 - The default tile layer in Exposures maps is not Stamen Terrain anymore, but [CartoDB Positron](https://github.com/CartoDB/basemap-styles). Affected methods are `climada.engine.Impact.plot_basemap_eai_exposure`,`climada.engine.Impact.plot_basemap_impact_exposure` and `climada.entity.Exposures.plot_basemap`. [#798](https://github.com/CLIMADA-project/climada_python/pull/798)
 
diff --git a/climada/util/plot.py b/climada/util/plot.py
index b35569f28b..6573d4793f 100644
--- a/climada/util/plot.py
+++ b/climada/util/plot.py
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ def _plot_scattered_data(method, array_sub, geo_coord, var_name, title,
 
 
 def geo_im_from_array(array_sub, coord, var_name, title,
-                      proj=None, smooth=True, axes=None, figsize=(9, 13), adapt_fontsize=True,
+                      proj=None, smooth=True, shapes=True, axes=None, figsize=(9, 13), adapt_fontsize=True,
                       **kwargs):
     """Image(s) plot defined in array(s) over input coordinates.
 
@@ -272,6 +272,9 @@ def geo_im_from_array(array_sub, coord, var_name, title,
         coordinate reference system used in coordinates, by default None
     smooth : bool, optional
         smooth plot to RESOLUTIONxRESOLUTION, by default True
+    shapes : bool, optional
+        Overlay Earth's countries coastlines to matplotlib.pyplot axis.
+        The default is True
     axes : Axes or ndarray(Axes), optional
         by default None
     figsize : tuple, optional
@@ -349,7 +352,8 @@ def geo_im_from_array(array_sub, coord, var_name, title,
                          extent[2], extent[3]), crs=proj)
 
         # Add coastline to axis
-        add_shapes(axis)
+        if shapes:
+            add_shapes(axis)
         # Create colormesh, colorbar and labels in axis
         cbax = make_axes_locatable(axis).append_axes('right', size="6.5%",
                                                      pad=0.1, axes_class=plt.Axes)