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An international team of researchers warns that by 2040, approximately 12 million square kilometers of land could be below sea level if current soil subsidence trends continue.
The data was collected in 2021 at the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain: researchers analyzed soil subsidence at 200 locations in 34 countries. Based on this data, a model was created that predicts landscape changes in the coming years.
By comparison, the United States covers approximately 9.8 million square kilometers, China 9.5 million square kilometers, and Russia 17 million square kilometers. Thus, the potentially affected area is comparable in size to the world's largest countries. The most vulnerable regions will be parts of South America, Africa, and Asia.
According to forecasts, approximately 22% of the world's major cities, home to over 1.2 billion people, could be at risk of flooding. Even areas previously considered safe will be more frequently subject to flooding and destructive landscape changes.
An international team of researchers is calling on governments to take urgent measures to combat soil subsidence. Specifically, they recommend adjusting oil, gas, and other mineral extraction programs and monitoring the drainage of underground water reservoirs.
