Ho Chi Minh City is among the five fastest-sinking cities globally, according to recent research published in monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Sustainability on subsidence rates in various cities.

The city subsides by 10-15mm annually, with some areas sinking by as much as 6-8cm each year.

As of May, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction reported that the total subsidence area in the city has reached nearly 7,200 hectares, with areas near rivers and canals particularly affected by a faster subsidence rate. 

This issue has contributed to the increasing frequency of flooding in the city.

A recent report by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment reveals that land subsidence in the city has been occurring since 1990. 

A survey by the Japan International Cooperation Agency indicates that the subsidence rate in Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 2-5cm per year, with areas featuring a high concentration of commercial buildings sinking by 7-8cm annually. 

This subsidence rate is twice as fast as the sea level rise, which is about one centimeter per year.

From 2004 to 2014, the subsidence rate in the city increased by 10 centimeters over 10 years, with some areas experiencing even more significant sinking. 

Affected districts include Binh Chanh, southern Binh Tan, District 8, western District 7, the northwest of the old District 2, eastern District 12, southwest old Thu Duc, and northwest Nha Be, covering a total subsidence area of 239 square kilometers.

In 2019, the city recorded 14,775 hectares of rapid subsidence, over 15mm per year, 22,331 hectares of relatively rapid subsidence, 10-15mm per year, and 29,560 hectares of average subsidence, 5-10mm per year.

The other four cities in the top five fastest-sinking cities in the world, according to research by Nature Sustainability, are Tianjin in China, Chittagong in Bangladesh, Yangon in Myanmar, and Jakarta in Indonesia.

Tianjin has been experiencing subsidence since the 1920s, with the most significant sinking occurring in the 1930s, primarily due to groundwater extraction. 

In the 1960s, some areas of the city subsided by more than one meter. 

Rapid urbanization in China during the late 20th and early 21st centuries has worsened the situation, with the construction of roads, bridges, and skyscrapers in developing urban areas playing a major role.

Chittagong is sinking nearly 10 times faster than the rise in sea level, with a subsidence rate of 20mm per year between 2015 and 2020 due to industrial groundwater extraction and saltwater intrusion.

Yangon is recording a subsidence rate of 31mm per year. 

Many experts believe the primary cause is over-extraction of groundwater, which also poses a risk of triggering a major earthquake.

Jakarta is sinking at a rate of 26mm per year. 

The alarming subsidence has led the government to make the decision to relocate the capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan province.

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