Bangkok is Sinking Under the Sea

Bangkok and neighbouring provinces are at risk of being swamped as sea levels rise, according to warnings at the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting. The capital rests about 3½ to 5 feet above the nearby gulf, although some areas already lie below sea level. The gulf's waters have been rising by about a tenth of an inch a year. But the city, built on clay rather than bedrock, has also been sinking at a far faster pace of up to 4 inches annually as its population and factories pump some 2.5 million cubic tons of water out of its aquifers. This compacts the layers of clay and causes the land to sink. The capital could be under the sea as early as 15-20 years. These pictures were taken at Samut Prakan this morning as high tide flooded the city center. There has been no rain for the last several weeks.

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