# Sinking cities, rising seas

## TL;DR

This paper shows that land sinking in coastal cities, especially in Asia, adds to sea-level rise and needs better planning for protection.

## Contribution

The study provides new global data on land subsidence rates in 48 coastal cities, revealing higher variability than prior estimates.

## Key findings

- Land subsidence rates are more variable than IPCC estimates indicated.
- Asian cities experience the highest rates of land subsidence.
- The findings can improve sea-level rise predictions and coastal protection planning.

## Abstract

Land subsidence adds to the problem of climate-driven sea-level rise in coastal regions. A recent publication in Nature Sustainability has quantified the relative rates of local land subsidence of 48 major coastal cities worldwide. The study found that relative local land subsidence is more spatially variable than IPCC estimates previously suggested, with cities in Asia suffering the most. The findings could refine predictions of relative sea level rise and better guide actions for planning, designing and implementing protection strategies for coastal cities.