Major River Deltas Are Sinking Faster than Sea-Level Rise, Study Shows

Why are river deltas disappearing? They’re sinking faster than many people realize.

Great white egrets stand in the wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Land in this area of the Mississippi River Delta is sinking, both on its own and in tandem with rising sea levels. (Elise Plunk/Louisiana Illuminator)A new study says river deltas around the world aren’t just disappearing because of rising seas, but because the land itself is sinking down into the waters, either as fast or faster than the rising oceans. Researchers found some of t…

18 of Earth's biggest river deltas — including the Nile and Amazon — are sinking faster than global sea levels are rising

Worldwide, millions of people live in river deltas that are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, research suggests. This exacerbates the risk of catastrophic coastal flooding and land loss.

Satellite Data Exposes a Hidden Flood Threat Endangering 236 Million People

Densely populated river deltas are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, according to new research.

Sinking river deltas put millions at risk of flooding

Some of the world’s biggest megacities are located in river deltas threatened by subsidence due to excessive groundwater extraction and urban expansion, compounding the threat they face from sea-level rise

Major river deltas are sinking faster than sea-level rise, study shows

A study published in Nature shows that many of the world's major river deltas are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of people in these regions.