Beijing is among the fastest sinking places in the country. According to the New York Times. The same is true in neighboring Tianjin, where thousands of residents were evacuated from buildings last year after streets suddenly split.
Drowning is linked to a number of factors. One reason land is sinking is China's large-scale groundwater extraction – which is occurring faster than water can be replenished, and is exacerbated by drought and climate change. Other factors also influencing subsidence include urban transportation systems and mineral and coal extraction.
As Chinese cities grow, they also sink. The increasing weight of cities, which comes with their rapid development, also contributes to soil compaction and sinking.
This phenomenon increases the risk of floods for a large part of the population. In coastal Chinese cities, this subsidence threatens millions of people with floods as sea levels rise.
The study predicts that by 2120, 22 to 26 percent of China's coastal land will be below sea level. – Due to the combined effect of the city's subsidence and the rise in sea level itself.
The key to reducing this damage is to limit groundwater extraction. The researchers wrote. Also according to the New York Times, Shanghai has already adopted this approach and is sinking more slowly than other Chinese cities. Other regions are also combating subsidence by injecting water into depleted aquifers.
