Engineering Influence from ACEC
News:Business News
In a concerning discovery, cities across the US are steadily sinking due to practices such as groundwater extraction, oil extraction, and fracking, exacerbating the impacts of sea-level rise. This article, which originally ran in Engineering, Inc., delves into the severity of the situation, highlighting how a considerable number of American and global cities, housing 10s of millions of people, are dropping at an alarming rate every year. Land subsidence – the sinking of ground level – is largely irreversible and carries serious repercussions, including increased flood risk and potential relocation of affected communities.
As experts emphasize, the primary culprit is the over-extraction of groundwater, which is responsible for more than 80% of U.S. land subsidence occurrences. Despite elemental damages like floods, earthquakes, or landslides being resolvable over time, loss of elevation due to land subsidence is permanent and difficult to notice until it's too late. Therefore, it's vital to comprehend that land subsidence amplifies all other environmental impacts, including relative sea level rise, essentially characterizing the intersections of sinking land and rising seas.
Though land subsidence can't be reversed, stabilization is possible through processes like managed aquifer recharge. Some cities are already testing such solutions with the hope to slow down and stabilize ground subsidence. Nonetheless, considering the increased storm surges and rainfall, the real challenge is to rethink how cities use stormwater to naturally replenish groundwater resources, which currently is not the case in most urban areas. Plans to effectively manage stormwater and allow it to seep back into the ground to recharge groundwater reserves are discussed.
However, the graveness of the issue also extends to climate gentrification. With the rising sea levels and decreasing land, neighborhoods sitting above sea levels are becoming prime real estate, forcing locals out. Experts advocate for infrastructure with multiple functional benefits and a balanced approach that takes into account all members of the community. As cities sink and sea levels rise, engineers are called to action to ensure sustainable futures and reevaluate the relationship between the built environment and nature.
Coverage from the 2022 HR, IT, and Finance Forums: Returning to the Office with Johnathan Allen
Update on the Housing Market with NAHB’s Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington
The August Economic Update from ACEC
The Latest News on the Senate Budget Deal
A Closer Look Inside the Senate Budget Deal
A Closer Look at the Fed Rate Hike with Economist Ken McGill
Update on the Life Sciences Market with Colliers
The Economic Report for July 2022
A Closer Look at QBS
From the Ground Up: Stories and Lessons from Architects and Engineers who Learned to be Leaders
Project Spotlight: The Kalispell Core and Rail Redevelopment Project
A Conversation with Risk Strategies
Gas Tax Holiday Won’t Ring up Relief at the Pump
A Conversation with Deltek at the 2022 Annual Convention
The June Economic Update from ACEC
A Conversation with Victor Insurance, an Exhibitor at the 2022 Annual Convention and Legislative Summit
Why You Need the EJCDC
A Conversation with CASE: The Coalition of American Structural Engineers
A Conversation with Joe Romano about ACEC’s Coalition of Professional Surveyors
Our Conversation with Nicole Malachowski, first female Thunderbird pilot
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Pharmacy Podcast Network
Sarah Westall - Business Game Changers
Børsen Morgenbriefing
Wall Street Breakfast
Bloomberg Surveillance