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Sinking Cities

Sinking Cities

Update: 2025-07-31
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Description

Cities across the world are beginning to sink — some by as much as 10 centimetres a year. A recent study suggests that more than a third of urban Chinese resident now live in a sinking city. The cause is often ascribed to climate change, but is there something else at play? Could our thirst for water actually be the culprit? Also, how much do our urban environments contribute to the heating of the planet? A call to finally get serious about the climate impacts of city design.

Guests

Jeff Goodell — Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council. New York Times Best Selling author of "The Water Will Come"

Dr Philip Minderhoud — Assistant Professor and Veni laureate at the University of Wageningen

Associate Professor Anna Hullimann — Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne

Further information

Jeff Goodell — The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities and the Remaking of the Civilized World

Anna Hurlimann — Integrating Climate Change Action Across the Built Environment: A Guide for Transformative Action 

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Sinking Cities

Sinking Cities

Australian Broadcasting Corporation