Beijing is Sinking Due to Water Extraction
Published by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
Beijing is consuming so much water it's causing the city to sink at an extreme rate.
A new study using satellite imagery and radar technology confirmed the ground level is sinking each year by roughly 4 inches.
Beijing doesn't have enough water to begin with. It's the fifth-most water stressed city in the world. Meanwhile, two-thirds of the water the city uses comes from the ground.
According to The Guardian, more than 10,000 wells have been drilled in the Beijing area, and when water is used from them, the nearby soil condenses and hardens.
The study's authors warned if ground water continues to be pumped at excessive rates, the city's 20 million citizens could be in danger. The central business district is sinking particularly fast, and the researchers predict trains could be affected.
More than 40 other Chinese cities have been found to be sinking as well. Shanghai, China's most populated city, has dropped more than 6 feet since 1921.
The huge expansion of skyscrapers and other heavy buildings in China has made the sinking worse.
Beyond China, Mexico City has sunk 32 feet in the last 60 years because of similar water consumption.
Both Mexico City and Jakarta, Indonesia, are sinking at a rate of roughly 11 inches per year.
This video includes clips from PBS, France 24, International Business Times, NTDTV, CCTV and images from Getty Images. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.
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Source: Newsy
Tags
Category: Academic
- Water Resources
- Water Supply
- Water Conservation
3 Comments
This is the very reason as to why major cities and government embrace EcoloBlue products; Atmospheric water generators in tapping clean drinking and agricultural water from the atmosphere at a low humid condition of about 30% and 20oC. The presence of water was discovered to contain about 13,000Km3 of water (UN-water report). This diversification a long side other intergrated water resource management systems would indeed complement the underground reservoirs of fresh water for human consumption and agricultural practices.
Published by Carlo Atum, Researcher and Distributor at EcoloBlue
UNCSD Rio+20 Future We Want urges the need for establish a global ground sinking observation system along with global data processing system at regional & national level, to safeguard all the vulnerable communities from looming crisis due to water extraction leading to ground sinking.
Published by S.P. Bindra, global strategic management institute - Professor
This is news. What is the effect on civil structure? Do we need to think that sinking is even? Does somebody has access to scientific report then please provide?
Published by Pradip Pofali