A Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study revealed Viet Nam's largest city's annual subsidence rate is approximately twice that of the surrounding sea level rise, with the southwestern districts of Binh Tan and Binh Chanh sinking 81.8cm and 48.8cm respectively since 2014, according to the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Experts at a municipal seminar identified four main causes: vulnerable ground conditions, excessive groundwater extraction, increased traffic load, and construction activities. Despite recent restrictions on groundwater extraction, areas with heavy truck traffic and construction sites continue to show accelerated subsidence.
The subsidence, combined with rising sea levels in the Mekong Delta region, poses a significant flood risk to the city. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment previously reported that seawater intrusion in the Mekong Delta causes annual losses of approximately $3 billion, affecting the region's rice production capacity.
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