Major river deltas are sinking faster than sea-level rise
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Jun-2026 05:16 ET (13-Jun-2026 09:16 GMT/UTC)
A new study published in Nature finds human-driven land sinking now outpaces sea-level rise in many of the world’s major delta systems, threatening more than 236 million people.
New research involving the University of East Anglia (UEA) reveals how fast the world’s river deltas are sinking and the human-driven causes.
Home to hundreds of millions of people, until now it was unclear what the rate of delta elevation loss is, or what is driving delta subsidence.
In a new study published today in Nature, scientists report that land subsidence caused by humans - through the extraction of groundwater - is the main culprit.
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