Bangkok is sinking at a rate of 1.2 in. a year, in part because of illegal tapping of groundwater. This subsidence exposes the city’s 10 million inhabitants to dramatic rises in relative sea level.
[The following text appears within a diagram. Please see your hard copy for actual diagram.]
15 PLACES THAT WILL BE MOST AFFECTED IN THE NEXT 100 YEARS (SEA-LEVEL RISE IN FEET)
BANGKOK
6.76 FT.
MANILA
4.39 FT.
KUSHIRO, JAPAN 3.08
GRAND ISLE, LA.
3.03 FT.
POTI, GEORGIA 2.16
OCEAN CITY, MD. 1.8
JEJU, SOUTH KOREA 1.76
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA 1.74
LUSI, CHINA
1.63 FT.
Rising ocean temperatures slow the northeasterly flow of the Gulf Stream, causing more water to wash ashore in places like Ocean City, Md.
GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS 2.77
GALVESTON, TEXAS 2.24
SUVA, FIJI 2.07
LEGAZPI, THE PHILIPPINES 1.77
ROCKPORT, TEXAS 1.69
DAVAO CITY, THE PHILIPPINES 1.75
The Mariana Islands and Fiji are increasingly vulnerable to tropical storms as rising seas and ocean temperatures degrade natural coastal defense systems like coral reefs.
SOURCE: NOAA’S TIDES AND CURRENTS DEPARTMENT
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com