Chinese Cities Are Sinking, Warns Study
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20 April 2024
Nearly half of China's major cities are skinking because of water extraction and the increasing weight of urban buildings and infrastructure, a study has found
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Chinese cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, are facing a "moderate to severe" risk of subsidence
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China's urban area below sea level could triple by 2120, potentially affecting 55 to 128 million residents, per the research
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The study also found that China's biggest city Shanghai continues to subside after sinking up to 3 meters over the past century
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Beijing, on the other hand, is sinking 45 millimetres annually near its subways and highways
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The subsidence appears to be associated with a range of factors such as groundwater withdrawal and the weight of buildings, researchers said
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Additionally, several natural and human factors are also associated with city subsidence
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Natural factors include the geological setting of each city and the depth of the bedrock, which influenced the amount of weight the ground could hold up without sinking
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There is also a strong link between sinking cities and groundwater loss, which leaves empty pore space in the crust that becomes compacted as weight piles on above
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Other factors, according to research, include urban transportation networks, as well as hydrocarbon extraction and mining
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Researchers cautioned that the new findings reinforce the need for a national response even in other susceptible cities outside China
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