Resilient Economies Strategies for Sinking Cities and Flood Risks 2025

Land subsidence represents an urgent yet underrecognized global risk. Often described as a “silent” challenge, its gradual progression obscures its true scale, making detection difficult until critical thresholds are surpassed and consequences become severe. While sudden sinking can happen, the slow onset, combined with diverse local drivers, contributes to a lack of urgency in both public and private sector agendas. Several persistent barriers continue to impede decisive action.1.3 What are the barriers to action? These barriers perpetuate a reactive approach, with interventions typically occurring only after significant damage has taken place. In an era of rapid urbanization and climate volatility, economies and societies can no longer afford to treat land subsidence as an isolated or secondary issue.A fundamental shift is required: from reactive to proactive, strategic resilience building to land subsidence, associated risks and compounding factors. Addressing land subsidence and its interaction with sea-level rise and extreme weather demands a holistic, collaborative approach. Without collective action, the liveability and stability of several cities worldwide are at risk.Disconnection from climate agendas: Despite clear links to climate change, land subsidence remains largely absent from mainstream climate policy and discourse. The disconnect limits development of integrated, cross-sectoral solutions and reduces opportunities for alignment with broader urban and climate resilience strategies. Limited awareness and understanding: The complex interdependences and feedback loops between land subsidence, human activity and their socioeconomic and environmental costs are poorly understood outside academia, government and businesses directly involved. This lack of shared understanding reduces urgency and weakens consensus for collective action. Data gaps and limited access: Even where awareness exists, the data needed to analyse and respond to subsidence is scattered across institutions and often inaccessible. Without comprehensive, up-to-date information, governments, businesses and communities cannot assess risks or target investments effectively. Lack of standards and coordination: There is a notable absence of international standards for measuring, monitoring and responding to subsidence, particularly regarding its interaction with sea-level rise and extreme weather. This gap limits benchmarking, accountability and the development and adoption of effective solutions. While initiatives such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Land Subsidence International Initiative are facilitating global exchange of information, broader engagement across sectors is needed.89 Insufficient urgency and investment: The often gradual nature of subsidence can relegate it to a lower priority until disaster strikes. This results in limited public awareness, insufficient funding and a lack of public-private engagement, which can be exacerbated by the challenge of demonstrating immediate financial returns on prevention, mitigation and adaptation measures. The absence of clear attribution between asset damage and land subsidence can further impede action. While sudden sinking can happen, the slow onset, combined with diverse local drivers, contributes to a lack of urgency in both public and private sector agendas. Resilient Economies: Strategies for Sinking Cities and Flood Risks 16