The 10 Fastest-Sinking Coastal Cities in the World

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Satellite-based radar was used to find the cities in the world that are sinking the fastest. The study looked at 48 of the largest cities located on coasts. It found that 44 of these cities were sinking faster than the rise of sea levels.

This puts these cities at higher risk of flooding, and some cities are now taking action. According to Visual Capitalist, these are the coastal cities that are sinking the fastest.

Tianjin, China

Aerial photography of Tianjin city architecture landscape skyline
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This coastal city is sinking by a median of 6 mm per year and has a peak sinking velocity of 43 mm a year. Geothermal well drilling has led to lost soil, and that’s leaving major fissures in Tianjin’s roads.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, December 31st 2021: Morning at Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known by its previous name, Saigon is the largest and most populous city in Vietnam
Image Credit: TBone Lee/Shutterstock.

 

The median velocity of sinking here is 16 mm per year. The peak velocity ties with Tianjin at 43 mm a year. It’s a city that could run into major problems in a few years as the land gets lower and lower.

Chittagong, Bangladesh

Chittagong, Bangladesh, 05 August, 2023: Due to continuous heavy rain, roads in different areas of Chittagong were flooded on Saturday.
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The median speed of this city’s sinking is 12 mm a year. Its peak velocity is 37 mm a year. More than half of this city gets flooded regularly. It’s a city that has a lot of competition for water and trouble with flooding at the same time.

Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, Myanmar city skyline.
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In this city of 5.6 million, the median velocity of sinking is 4 mm a year. Its peak sinking velocity is 31 mm a year. It’s a city that has a lot of flooding problems, and sinking is making this worse.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Panoramic cityscape of Indonesia capital city Jakarta at suny day
Image Credit: Aleksandar Todorovic/Shutterstock.

 

This city on the coast is the home to 11.2 million residents. It has a peak sinking velocity of 26 mm per year and a median velocity of 5 mm a year. This capital city is sinking so badly that the government is moving the capital to a different area to escape it.

Ahmedabad, India

Aerial view of Ahmedabad,Gujarat,India. Riverfront and garden with skyline buildings drone view landscape. Post coronavirus covid-19 city reopens. social distancing rules after city restrictions ease.
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This Indian city is urbanizing swiftly, and it’s been drawing an enormous amount of groundwater for its 8.7 million people. The median sinking speed is 5 mm a year, while the peak speed is 23 mm per year.

Istanbul, Turkey

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), Bosporus and asian side skyline, Istanbul, Turkey
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This massive city of 15.5 million is growing fast, and that means a big demand for water. The water is drawn from the city’s reservoirs, speeding its sinking. It currently sinks at a peak rate of 19 mm a year and a median rate of 6 mm per year.

Houston, U.S.A.

Houston, Texas, USA downtown city skyline over Root Square.
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This city is the coastal American city that’s sinking the fastest of all the coastal cities in this large country. The city of Houston has a median sinking speed of 3 mm per year and a peak speed of 17 mm per year.

Lagos, Nigeria

Daytime Aerial View of Lagos Island, Nigeria
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The biggest city on this list, this city of 15.9 million is more vulnerable to sinking because its coastal areas are being mined for sand. The median rate of sinking is 2 mm a year, and the peak rate is 17 mm a year.

Manila, Philippines

Gardens and skyscrapers at Greenbelt Park, in Ayala, Makati, Metro Manila, The Philippines.
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The smallest city on this list with 1.8 million residents, Manila has the same sinking rate as Lagos. It’s sinking at a median rate of  2 mm a year and a peak rate of 17 mm per year.

The 21 Worst Run Cities in America

man with a beard with American flag.
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Finding the right place to live is challenging for most Americans, with an estimated 28 million people moving in 2021 alone. When looking to settle down, people look for areas with great jobs, fun things to do, accessible public transport, and safe places to raise a family.

Across the country, there are great cities and horrible cities, with the ones on this list the worst run in America.

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Cute young brunette girl in sunglasses walks along the Los Angeles waterfront with palm trees and streets on a summer day.
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There are rich people around the world, but there are some areas that have more wealthy residents than others. When looking at how many millionaires there are in each country, it isn’t even remotely even.

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Farming and cultivations in Latin America. Portrait of middle aged hispanic farmer sitting proud in his tractor at sunset, holding the steering wheel. He looks at the camera and smiles happy.
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Some states have a high population density and many population centers. Others are mostly rural and may have little population. The difference between the top and bottom states in terms of population is enormous.

According to World Population Review, these are the top 15 states for population.

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There are some countries where the majority of visitors love their experience. However, there are other countries that people come back from and never recommend to anyone. These countries often have circumstances that make the trip miserable so that visitors can’t wait to leave and go home.

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The 15 Poorest Cities in America

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When it comes to cities in America, huge disparities exist. Some are doing much better financially than others. There are a lot of cities today that are struggling economically and coming up short in a few areas.

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Author: Lizz Shepherd

Bio:

Lizz Shepherd is a freelance writer living in Alabama.

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