The 10 fastest sinking coastal cities around the world

Coastal cities face challenges related to rising sea levels. But a new study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Evaluated 99 locations around the world and revealed that some major cities are sinking more quickly than the sea levels around them It’s rising.

The researchers explained that some of them are sinking at alarming rates due to a process called subsidence, in which the ground settles and compresses due to changes in the materials present beneath the surface of the Earth.

Subsidence is often accelerated by human activity, such as groundwater pumping and rapid construction, causing land in the vast majority of these cities to sink by several millimeters per year. Discover ten cities facing this problem and drowning more every year.

10. Houston, USA

(Source: Getty Images)

The city of Houston in the United States is sinking at a rate of 1.95 centimeters annually, which poses a challenge to its infrastructure and requires adaptation measures to confront floods.

9. Kerala, India

(Source: Getty Images)

The state of Kerala in India faces subsidence at a rate of 1.96 cm annually, making it vulnerable to coastal flooding and the challenges associated with rising sea levels.

8. Kobe, Japan

(Source: Getty Images)

Kobe, Japan is witnessing a gradual sinking of 2.26 cm per year. It is another coastal city looking for solutions to ensure its resilience to floods.

7. Chatigao, Bangladesh

(Source: Getty Images)

The city of Chatigao in Bangladesh is sinking at a rate of 2.35 centimeters per year. This subsidence increases the city’s exposure to coastal flooding.

6. Hanoi, Vietnam

(Source: Getty Images)

The Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, faces a decline rate of 2.44 cm annually. The city is taking measures to confront the floods that threaten its residents.

5. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

(Source: Getty Images)

Ho Chi Minh City is sinking at a rate of 2.81 cm per year. This ongoing subsidence raises concerns for the city, which faces major challenges due to flooding.

4. Shanghai, China

(Source: Getty Images)

Shanghai, one of China’s largest cities, faces a sinking rate of 2.94 cm annually, ranking fourth on the list of fastest sinking cities in the world.

3. Jakarta, Indonesia

(Source: Getty Images)

The Indonesian capital, Jakarta, is sinking at a rate of 3.44 centimeters per year. The Indonesian government is taking drastic measures, including moving the capital, due to the accelerating subsidence.

2. Samarao, Indonesia

(Source: Getty Images)

The city of Samarao, Indonesia, faces a subsidence rate of 3.96 centimeters per year, making it vulnerable to flooding. Excessive pumping of groundwater is one of the main causes of this problem.

1. Tianjin, China

(Source: Getty Images)

Tianjin, in China, is the city with the highest drowning rate in the world, at 5.22 centimeters per year. This alarming number is partly due to human activity, including groundwater extraction.