Sinking cities, Seas are rising, but several large cities are facing a parallel issue: the land under them is sinking too. Researchers evaluated 99 cities and discovered many are sinking quicker than sea levels are rising.
What is Subsidence?
Land subsidence occurs when land settles and compresses due to geologic changes happening below. Out of the cities studied, 33 are sinking by more than 1 cm per year, and the cities mostly affected are in South and Southeast Asia. The combination of rising sea levels and land subsidence causes coastal flooding.
What Are the Reasons for Subsidence?
According to the research authors, groundwater pumping is the major cause. An example of that is Mexico City, which is sitting on a clay bed formed by an ancient lake and continually draining its groundwater for drinking water purposes.
Jakarta and Other Cities
- Jakarta is set to be moved by Indonesia to a safer location in Borneo due to the sinking of the city.
- Miami and Guangzhou are under serious threats of floods caused by rising sea levels.
- Venice is repeatedly mentioned in the talks about cities that are vulnerable.
Is It Possible to Stop It? – sinking cities
Subsidence cannot be reversed but can be slowed by reducing groundwater withdrawals. In 2022, North Jakarta banned groundwater extraction.
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