Which state is sinking

The entire Pacific region contributes to 0. Sinking of low-lying areas has become a stark reminder and potent symbol of climate change. It is therefore about time that the global community takes action now and make committed binding decisions to combat climate change before it is too late and coastal areas start disappearing one after the other.

Combating environmental crisis is not the work of one government or international organisation alone. It requires collective action by diverse groups such as governments, multilateral organisations, multinational corporations and the general public. This US decision has not only caused trepidation and concern in the wider Pacific region, but also feeling of helplessness and disappointment.

The US, China and India are some of the biggest polluters in the world. If these nations do not commit themselves to climate change and cut their carbon emissions to the atmosphere, the lesser polluters will justify their polluting actions and continue with the business as usual. This clearly indicates that there is a crisis of governance and absence of global governance to monitor state behaviour and regulate climate change in order to attain an effective outcome.

Unless the global community establishes a strong political will with a strong leadership, environmental crisis will remain unaddressed. The Pacific region will continue to bear the brunt of extreme impact of climate change. As recent as 28 December , Tropical Cyclone Sarai caused huge amount of human and material losses in Fiji despite the fact that it did not make full landfall in the island nation.

Sarai claimed two human lives and made more than people homeless. It damaged houses, destroyed crops, cut trees and toppled electricity pylons ABC, And there are more to come. The Centre which is the official source of Tropical Cyclones occurring in the South West Pacific Ocean, predicts that two to four Tropical Cyclones may reach severe Tropical Cyclone intensity Category three status or above during this season.

Fiji Meteorological Service, Every year the region as a whole suffers from weather events of different magnitude. The onus is now on the international community to take bold steps and combat climate change. There are states such Australia, which is suffering and experiencing climate change, yet continues to use coal as a source of fuel to run the engine of its economy. Not to mention that the country is facing with water shortage as well as successive droughts and overwheming fires.

It is therefore just the latest in a series of lessons to climate change deniers that this phenomenon is irrefutably real, and the global community must take action now before it is too late.

ADB Cassella, C. Carter, G. In: G. As water is extracted from under the city it leaves empty spaces where the water once was. Over time this is compressed by the weight above, resulting in subsidence. Another contributing factor is the fact that the city was once built on a drained lake within an old volcanic crater. Bangkok is yet another of the world's sinking cities.

In fact, the city could be in serious danger of becoming irreparably sunk within the next decade or so. It is currently sinking at around 2 cm a year. A government report predicted the city will likely be underwater by around The main culprit, like other cities on this list, is groundwater extraction.

Action has been taken to attempt to mitigate this problem such as the Ground Water Act that has attempted to restrict the practice. Groundwater extraction rates have been reduced and water is also being pumped back underground. Probably the most famous example of sinking cities is Venice in Italy. The city is sinking at around 1 to 2 mm a year. Best known for its extensive waterways and romantic history, the city is built in a muddy lagoon with inadequate foundations.

This is causing the ground beneath the city to compact over time. Combined with gradual sea level rises over time, the city is slowly being reclaimed by nature. It has a relatively low population when compared to other cities, which means groundwater extraction is less of a problem for the city but isn't helping matters. Lagos in Nigeria is another city sinking under its own weight. The city was built on the coast and incorporates a series of islands.

The city suffers from poor drainage and is under constant threat of flooding. One study showed that just a sea-level rise of 1 to 3 meters would be catastrophic for the region.

Its large population also consumes huge amounts of groundwater every year leading to series subsidence over time. The famous and iconic British capital of London is another of the world's sinking cities.

People walk on the water as roads are flooded due to heavy rain in Dhaka, Bangladesh July 26, Talia Lakritz ,. Take action on UpLink. Forum in focus. Public and private sectors chart a course for cities to reach a net-zero carbon future. Read more about this project.

Explore context. Explore the latest strategic trends, research and analysis. Here are 11 sinking cities that are in danger of disappearing. A man drives a motorcycle through sea water as high tide hits Muara Baru fishing port in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 5, People crowd a street at the central business district in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos ahead of Christmas December 23, Interstate highway 45 is submerged from the effects of Hurricane Harvey seen during widespread flooding in Houston, Texas, U.

August 27, Tourist walk in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy, April 2, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Image: Wikimedia Commons. A levee gives way to high water in New Orleans, Louisiana, after hurricane Katrina struck on August 31, Hurricane Katrina strengthened into a rare top-ranked storm and barrelled into the vulnerable U.

Gulf Coast for a second and more deadly assault on the Gulf Coast. Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dredgers work to create new land in front of the Europort to create the Europort nr.

With scientists predicting that sea levels will rise by about one metre 3. Instead of raising dikes, the Dutch want to reclaim land and build public recreation areas that can absorb storm surges.