China's largest and most populated city, Shanghai, built on the marshy banks of the Huangpu River, is slowly sinking, though at a slower rate than before, a report said yesterday.
The modern metropolis is home to nearly 17 million people and although over-exploitation of underground water is the main cause, its 3,000 high-rises built on soft, wet ground have contributed to the problem of subsidence, experts said.
The eastern port sunk 8.7mm last year, more than the target rate of 5mm a year hoped for by 2010, the Shanghai Daily reported, citing a geological survey.
The subsidence rate in 2003 was 10.4mm, down slightly from 11.1mm in 2002. If Shanghai continued to sink at 10mm per year it would reach sea level in 40 years.
To counteract the problem, underground water must be pumped out a rate of 865 million tonnes annually, the figure recorded last year, the report said.
Subsidence is clearly seen in Puxi District's Nanpu Bridge and the Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, which is littered with new skyscrapers.
"Once any increase in subsidence is observed, we will suggest the government take actions such as further controlling the pumping of underground water," said Yu Junying, an engineer with the Shanghai Institute of Geological Survey.
Researchers calculate the rate of subsidence by hammering two tubes underground and observing the distance each moves.
There are more than 100 buildings over 100m in Shanghai.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source