According to a study by NanyangSingapore Technological University (NTU), published in the journal Nature Sustainability, rapid urbanization has led to several cities drawing too much groundwater to serve their growing populations. As a result, the soil settles. This is especially true for Asian cities.
“Cities that suffer from rapid local land subsidence are at greater risk of flooding than those that may be affected by climate change,” the study says.
Vietnam's most populous urban centerand the main business hub, Ho Chi Minh City, is sinking faster than 48 major coastal cities around the world. The southern Bangladeshi port of Chittagong is second on the list, while the Indian city of Ahmedabad, the Indonesian capital Jakarta and the commercial hub of Myanmar Yangon are in third, fourth and fifth place respectively.
“Many of these rapidly subsiding coastalcities are fast-growing megacities. High demands for groundwater extraction and dense building structures contribute to localized land subsidence,” the study says.
According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2050, more than a billion people will live in coastal cities at risk from rising sea levels.
IPCC officials say global sea levels could rise by 60cm by the end of the century, even if greenhouse gas emissions fall sharply.
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