World's fastest sinking cities?

World’s fastest sinking cities!

TRAVEL TRENDS, WORLD

Created : Dec 15, 2020, 19:00 IST

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World’s fastest sinking cities!

The issue of climate change has been around for some time. This has also been one of the reasons that is posing existential threat to some of the world’s most beautiful cities that are worth a visit once in a lifetime. As such, while global temperatures and sea levels are on the rise, low-lying coastal cities are witnessing devastating situations already.While most of the cities are devising unique solutions to deal with the issue, some are yet to take a call on this. Experts are of the opinion that many of half of such cities might just sink by the end of the century.If we have your attention, here is a list of the fastest sinking cities in the world.

Credit: iStock

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Jakarta, Indonesia

As per the records, Jakarta is sinking by up to 6.7 in per year. The reason behind this is excessive groundwater pumping. If the situation remains the same, it is expected that much of the city would be underwater by 2050.Reportedly, the Indonesian Government has approved a plan, which intends to move the capital 100 mi. away from its current location, i.e., the island of Java. This plan has been approved to protect its 10 million residents from flooding. However, the said plan is estimated to cost around $33 billion, and would take around 10 years to materialize.

Credit: iStock

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Venice, Italy

Records state that Venice is sinking every year at a rate of 0.08 in. In 2003, Italy began building a flood barrier, comprising 78 gates across its three inlets. Supposedly, building the said barrier should have been completed by 2011, and it is reported that the flood barrier will likely not be ready until 2022.

Credit: iStock

04

Houston, Texas

As per the reports, parts of Houston are sinking at a rate of 2 in. per year, and excessive groundwater pumping is cited to be the reason. As per the data from the US Geological Survey, parts of Harris County have sunk betce the 1920ween 10 and 13 ft sins. It is estimated that the more Houston sinks, the more it will become vulnerable to frequent disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, which forced around 30000 people to be displaced.Although lawmakers have made efforts to address this issue, the problem continues to persist, with water suppliers and privately-owned wells’ unending pull from aquifers.

Credit: iStock

05

Lagos, Nigeria

It is Africa’s most populated city; owing to its low coastline, it faces an imminent danger of flooding. It has been reported that a rise in sea level of just 3 to 9 ft will have a disastrous effect in this region. A separate study also revealed that global sea levels are expected to rise more than 6 ft by this century. If the sea levels continue to rise because of global warming, Lagos will continue to hover near the danger line.