Millions of people in China’s big cities are living on sinking land, a new study reveals.
About 270 million folks are in areas where the ground sinks more than 0.12 inches per year. Another 67 million are on land sinking faster, over 0.4 inches yearly.
The main cause is China’s excessive use of groundwater, which lowers the water table and makes the land sink. Also, cities’ growing weight presses down on the ground, causing it to sink.
This isn’t just a China problem. US coastal cities like New York and places in the Netherlands are also sinking. Mexico City is one of the fastest-sinking cities globally.
As seas rise, sinking land means more flooding risks, especially along the coasts. About a quarter of China’s coasts could end up below sea level, which spells trouble for places like Tianjin, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
China is taking steps to address this, like controlling groundwater use and building protective dikes. But more effort is needed to keep cities safe from sinking.
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