Asian coastal cities sinking fast: study

According to a recent study by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Jakarta (pic) and Yangon are sinking more than 20mm in peak years. Photo: AFP

Sprawling coastal cities in South and South-East Asia are sinking faster than elsewhere in the world, leaving tens of millions of people more vulnerable to rising sea levels, a new study says.

Rapid urbanisation has seen these cities draw heavily on groundwater to service their burgeoning populations, according to research by Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU), published in the journal Nature Sustainability in September.