{"id":105067,"date":"2023-06-12T15:09:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T19:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=105067"},"modified":"2023-06-13T15:38:05","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T19:38:05","slug":"disappearing-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/disappearing-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"How Land Subsidence Is Causing Disappearing Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What’s causing cities to sink under their own weight? Can anything be done to save them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From New York to Jakarta, coastal cities across the globe are gradually sinking under their own weight. Experts say that left unaddressed, the problem, combined with rising sea levels<\/a> and climate change, will worsen already severe flooding and eventually make coastal areas unlivable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about these disappearing cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Disappearing Cities: Causes and Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From New York to Jakarta, coastal cities across the globe are sinking. Every year, New York City drops an average of 1-2 mm<\/a>, and by the end of 2050, one-third of Jakarta may be completely underwater<\/a>. The culprit? Subsidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Subsidence? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Disappearing cities are caused by land subsidence. Subsidence is the gradual sinking of land under its own weight<\/a>. Human activity is responsible for 79%<\/a> of land subsidence, and 60% of that comes from groundwater pumping<\/a>, which provides drinking water and water for sewage systems. The pumping process sucks water from between below-ground rocks, causing the rocks to fall on one another and compact.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cities, the weight of buildings<\/a> contributes to subsidence by pushing down on land\u2014as is happening in New York City, whose buildings cumulatively weigh 1.68tn lbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems That Subsidence Causes <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Subsidence, in isolation, damages buildings and roads<\/a>. In combination with rising sea levels and climate change, it causes or increases the likelihood of severe flooding<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts say that in the decades ahead, severe flooding could make life in coastal cities with land subsidence <\/strong>unsustainable<\/strong><\/a>. The problem has already gripped the world\u2019s fastest-sinking city, Jakarta, 40% of which is now below sea level<\/a> due to groundwater being pumped out faster than it can be replenished. By 2050, 95% of North Jakarta could be totally submerged.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts further warn that land subsidence and flooding problems will worsen<\/strong><\/a> as more people migrate to coastal cities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing Subsidence <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts say it\u2019s challenging to address the growing subsidence crisis for several reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First (Jakarta\u2019s immediate and blatant sinking problem notwithstanding) subsidence\u2019s physical impacts <\/strong>take a long time to become visible<\/strong><\/a> in a way that resonates with people.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, subsidence is challenging to remedy once in play because it <\/strong>takes considerably longer to replenish groundwater sources<\/strong><\/a> than to extract them.<\/strong> Given this reality, experts say that cities and urban planners focus on subsidence prevention<\/em> rather than mitigation<\/em> when possible. Strategies they recommend include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. <\/strong>Manage water sustainably<\/strong><\/a>. Cities should identify alternate water sources to avoid excessive groundwater pumping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Revive cities\u2019 water ecosystems.<\/strong> Cities should replenish groundwater basins naturally and revitalize existing water ecosystems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/strong>Construct water-friendly cities<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>Urban planners and others should develop cities with preventing sinking and managing rising sea levels in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n