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Holland is sinking faster than expected

The territory of the Netherlands is sinking under water. This is the conclusion reached by researchers from the Dutch Centre for Geodesy and Geoinformatics (NCG), writes The Siver Week.

According to the latest research from NCG, global climate change and rising sea levels could soon become not only causes more frequent flooding, but also the destruction of building foundations. In addition, climate change is turning coastal lands into swamps.

Scientists have noted that the process is happening faster than expected. In a year, changes have occurred that, according to initial estimates, should have taken several years, they say. For example, the city of Gouda, the birthplace of the cheese of the same name, has sunk by 3 millimeters in a year, and some of its parts by 10. According to previous estimates, these changes should have taken 8 years. The speed of the "fall" of the Netherlands is increasing, especially in the west, experts say. It was in the western regions of the country in 2017 that the subsidence of a dozen houses and the formation of cracks in their foundations were recorded.

Experts also said that if the subsidence of the Netherlands continues at the current rate, it could mean the end of the familiar Dutch landscape of meadows, cows and windmills, and cause massive damage to historic city centres.

However, there is no single quick solution to this problem. Some municipalities in the Netherlands are trying to preserve the soil by using natural and artificial materials that are less dense than sand. It should be added that the Netherlands is one of the five EU countries that are making the most efforts to combat climate change.

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Source: news.turizm.ru

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