- Mexico City is sinking by nearly 25 centimetres (10 inches) annually, making it one of the world's fastest-subsiding major cities, according to new NASA satellite imagery.
- The city, home to 22 million people, was built on an ancient lake bed, and its subsidence is exacerbated by the relentless pumping of groundwater and extensive urban development.
- This sinking has caused historic monuments like the Metropolitan Cathedral to tilt and severely damages critical infrastructure, including the subway, drainage, and water systems.
- NASA's NISAR satellite, a joint initiative with the Indian Space Research Organisation, is providing real-time data on the Earth's surface changes, allowing scientists to track the subsidence from space.
- Researchers hope this advanced technology will help officials better understand the problem and plan long-term mitigation strategies, as previous government efforts largely ignored the issue.
IN FULL
