A new study released this week from the Technical University of Munich reveals that many of the world's most populated coastal cities are sinking into the earth at an alarming rate.
This process, known as land subsidence, is primarily driven by the sheer weight of urban skyscrapers and the rapid depletion of groundwater to serve growing populations. While global sea levels rise due to climate change, sinking land effectively doubles the flood risk for 71% of the world’s coastal inhabitants. Some megacities are plummeting by as much as 10 inches per year, a rate that is now clearly visible from satellite data in space.
Governments must now urgently integrate vertical land motion data into their flood protection plans to prevent catastrophic urban collapse.
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The major effects of global warming aren’t too far away and we are currently experiencing much disruption already regarding global warming. Sure, political imbalance and housing crisis issues are immensely important. But joining together to fight a common cause enemy that poses a threat to all of wildlife and humans is the more overarching important story.
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