River Deltas Sinking Faster Than Rising Seas Threaten Hundreds of Millions
A global study reveals that many of the world's largest river deltas, home to hundreds of millions of people, are subsiding more rapidly than sea levels are rising. This dangerous combination poses major flood and displacement risks to major population centers.
Critical Global Study on Delta Subsidence
Many of the world's largest river deltas—home to hundreds of millions of people—are sinking faster than rising seas, according to a sweeping global study.
Implications for Vulnerable Populations
This research highlights a critical climate vulnerability affecting major river deltas worldwide, including the Nile, Mekong, Mississippi, and Yangtze deltas. When subsidence rates exceed sea level rise rates, the relative rise of water becomes even more severe, increasing flood risk and threatening critical infrastructure, agriculture, and urban centers that depend on these low-lying areas.