Water conservation, tree planting, and engineering efforts tackle subsidence in Shanxi province.
China’s Shanxi province, home to the city of Taiyuan, is struggling with severe subsidence, a phenomenon where the land sinks due to the depletion of underground water reserves. The problem is exacerbated by intensive coal mining and agriculture, which have drained water resources, leaving the land unstable. Over time, this has caused fissures, sinkholes, and cracks in infrastructure, and in some cases, entire communities have been displaced.
To address the issue, China has been diverting excess water from the Yellow River since 2003, pumping 1.2 billion cubic meters of water annually into the affected areas. This large-scale project has had some success, helping to replenish underground water reserves and reverse subsidence in certain regions. However, it has not been universally effective, particularly in areas with clay-rich soil, where the pore spaces are harder to restore.
The most successful interventions have been in regions where the water diversion project was complemented by efforts to conserve water, plant trees, and modernize irrigation practices. These additional measures have played a crucial role in mitigating the subsidence problem.
As other parts of the world, including Iran, the US high plains, and northwest India, face similar issues of water stress and land subsidence, they can look to China’s efforts as a model. Combining engineering solutions with sustainable water management practices appears to offer the best chance for reversing subsidence and ensuring long-term land stability.
