There’s many cities like this. I remember reading about Mexico City being on a similar path. Ground water keeps sinking rapidly so they keep digging until some day they won’t be able to and it’s all fucked.
The aquifer has been totally drained by wildcat wells since there is almost zero access to running water in Jakarta. The draining of the aquifer has resulted in the rapid sinking of the city
I believe I read about that in Chinese cities as well, maybe Shanghai?
The water takes up space in the soils and when it’s pumped out, the soil settles and can never be refilled with water again. Sorta feels like another way humans are going to need to engineer out existence in even bigger ways.
There’s many cities like this. I remember reading about Mexico City being on a similar path. Ground water keeps sinking rapidly so they keep digging until some day they won’t be able to and it’s all fucked.
Jakarta is quite literally sinking into the sea. The government’s solution was to move the capital to a new island
I don’t think that’s related to water use though, is it? Isn’t it just a weight of the city thing?
Edit: I was wrong, thanks for the corrections!
The aquifer has been totally drained by wildcat wells since there is almost zero access to running water in Jakarta. The draining of the aquifer has resulted in the rapid sinking of the city
With a number of cities, it’s because they pump out the water below the city aquifer. The more they pump out, the lower they sink.
I believe I read about that in Chinese cities as well, maybe Shanghai?
The water takes up space in the soils and when it’s pumped out, the soil settles and can never be refilled with water again. Sorta feels like another way humans are going to need to engineer out existence in even bigger ways.
Same for mexico city.