Shanghai sinking as sea level rises faster than ever before: Study

New research published in Nature reveals that Shanghai is sinking faster than previously estimated, compounding the risks posed by global sea level rise, which has accelerated to about 1.5 mm per year since 1900—the fastest rate in at least 4,000 years. While ocean warming and melting ice contribute to rising seas, the study highlights that approximately 94% of Shanghai’s rapid subsidence is due to human activities, primarily excessive groundwater extraction for industrial and domestic use. At its peak in the 1960s, Shanghai sank nearly 10 cm annually, and some areas have subsided over a meter in the past century, outpacing sea level rise and significantly increasing flood and storm surge risks. Shanghai’s location on soft delta soil at the Yangtze River’s mouth makes it particularly vulnerable, a situation mirrored in other major Chinese delta cities like Shenzhen and Hong Kong, which are critical to global manufacturing and trade. The combined effects of sinking land and rising seas have already caused billions in