The article reports on a study revealing that significant land subsidence is occurring in 16% of China’s major cities, largely due to development and groundwater extraction. This subsidence, combined with sea level rise, is projected to put a quarter of China’s urban coastal land below sea level within a century. Key contributors to this phenomenon include the weight of urban infrastructure and the effects of extracting water, oil, and minerals from beneath the cities. Beijing and Tianjin are noted as among the fastest-sinking cities. The article emphasizes the importance of managing groundwater extraction and other adaptive strategies to mitigate the impact of subsidence and protect urban areas from future flooding risks.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/climate/china-sinking-sea-level.html