Bangladesh, Feb. 2 -- Rising sea levels have long been a concern for coastal cities, leading to increased storm surges and flooding during high tides. However, theres an additional, often overlooked, factor making these cities even more susceptible to the encroaching waters: land subsidence. Scientists at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, including Pei-Chin Wu, Meng (Matt) Wei, and Steven DHondt, in collaboration with the US Geological Survey, have conducted research revealing that land is sinking at a faster rate than sea levels are rising in numerous coastal cities worldwide.

The global projections are alarming, indicating a mean sea level rise of at least one-foot above year-2000 levels by the end of the ...