Tourists worth a hurry.
If you plan to go to an exotic journey through Mali, to float in a gondola through the canals of Venice or views of the Golden gate bridge in San Francisco, be sure to take a camera with enough free memory. How to say the researchers, these pictures in the future will be the only way to convey your great-grandchildren information about many beautiful places. The unwavering mother nature has already identified dozens of cities that will disappear from the face of the planet by 2100. The reasons are many: climate change and sea level rise, and natural disasters, and economic problems. That is, each of the 10 following locations can become a modern Atlantis.
10. San Francisco, USA
People know that San Francisco is in a seismically active zone, and earthquakes often occur. But the monstrous consequences to which can lead a powerful disaster that are beyond the usual understanding. According to experts, the probability that in the next 70 years in San Francisco going to happen an earthquake measuring 7 points on the Richter scale or higher, reaches 75%.
Will the survivors in such a disaster people to rebuild the city? Will they be able to do this? Remember about New Orleans. Before hurricane Katrina in this city, lived about half a million people, but a year after the cataclysm, the population has decreased in 2 times. Now in the city gradually attracts new people, but the demographics are still much lower than before the disaster. In San Francisco lives more than 900 thousand people. There built hundreds of high-rise buildings. Horrible, but they are helpless in the face of large-scale earthquakes.
Note that in the last decade, the population of San Francisco and so gradually reduced. And it’s not that life in the city is very expensive. Just people began to seriously wonder: do I need to take risks and to live in such a dangerous place?
9. Venice, Italy
The most romantic city in the world has been steadily sinking for the past thousands of years. In the last century the rate of immersion increased dramatically during this time, the soil level dropped to 24 centimeters. The vulnerability of Venice is great, because this city is like no other depends on the water level.
This is interesting: In the early XX century St. Mark’s square was flooded 8-9 times each year in our time – more than 100 times annually.
The Italian government is developing different plans to protect Venice, but it is unknown how effective they will be. In the past 30 years, this purpose has been implemented more than 20 programs.
More than 3 billion euros, the Italians spent on the construction of the largest system of protection of Venice from flooding. To develop a system MOSE began in the early 1970s. it was Planned to build dozens of gateways that will connect the Adriatic sea with the Venetian lagoon. But the plan failed. The construction then stopped, then started again, the timing of the delivery of the finished project is constantly postponed for months and years, and recently it turned out that all of this was probably illegal. Last summer the mayor and 8 other senior officials were arrested. They brought charges of corruption related to the troubled project MOSE.
8. Detroit, USA
The world-famous “motor city” can turn into “Ghost town”. Detroit’s population is steadily declining. If the trend continues, 80 years later to know him will be impossible. Experts believe that to blame the economic and demographic decline. In the heyday of Detroit (mid XX century) its population reached about 1.85 million people. Today – less than 700 thousand. Fierce competition in the automotive industry, high unemployment, crime and General decline of Detroit changed for the worse.
Not so long ago, in 2013, the city became object of the most ambitious in the history of the bankruptcy case. As of early 2015, 23% of residents are unemployed and a third of the population forced to live below the poverty line. Formerly prosperous areas have become a “Ghost”, they seem to be abandoned and uninhabitable.
This is interesting: Detroit hold the record in terms of crime. Every year it takes 10 times more murders than, for example, in new York. But analysts of Forbes magazine for the past 6 years, always called Detroit the most dangerous city in the United States.
7. Ivanovo, Russia
Sad, but the Russian city is also represented in this list. The administrative center of Ivanovo oblast is in serious decline. Earlier the city was a major textile center, here gathered thousands of women seeking work. The massive influx of the fair sex led to the fact that Ivanovo had been called city of brides.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union 60% of the local population had to tighten their belts. The increasing competition in the field of textile industry and the entry of Chinese and Turkish products on the Russian domestic market has undermined the economic welfare of Ivanovo.
In 1990 the city’s population exceeded 550 thousand people. In the 25 years it decreased by almost 30%. Low birth rate coupled with a high mortality, poverty, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, the collapse of infrastructure – the causes that destroyed the once prosperous city and turned it into a pale shadow. Worst of all, young people are massively leaving Ivanovo and moved to more developed regions of Russia.
6. Mexico City, Mexico
A city with a great history, ranking among the 10 largest on the planet (population of Metropolitan area of Mexico city – 21 million people), gradually “sinking”. Mexico city is a powerful aquifer (dry lake bed), which is the main source of drinking water for local residents. Every time people turn on the tap, the town is gradually lowered. According to experts, over the last 65 years some parts of Mexico fell by more than 9 meters! The city is growing steadily, but at the same time, the aquifer is depleted. Therefore, the future of the Mexican capital is uncertain.
5. Banjul, The Gambia
The capital of the Gambia may be flooded due to sea level rise
The tiny West African state Gambia at risk of losing their capital. Soil erosion in conjunction with sea-level rise can lead to fatal consequences for Banjul. This city in the near future, risks to be absorbed by the depths of the sea.
Climate change has already led to sea level rise more than 1 meter. If the trend continues, by the middle of XXI century most of the buildings in Banjul will be flooded. Also, the country may lose about 20% of rice paddies and 50% of mangrove forests. The decrease in rice production in the future will lead to hunger and climate change to droughts in some areas and flooding in others. Given the fact that most of the major tourist attractions of the Gambia is located in the coastal areas (like all the fishing centres), the economy will receive a powerful blow. Now the government of the Gambia is taking steps to strengthen the coastline, but it is unknown whether it will be possible to save the coast and the administrative capital for future generations.
4. Timbuktu, Mali
The millennial city of Timbuktu suffers defeat in an unequal struggle with the desert.
The advent of powerful sand dunes into fertile land leads to serious problems. It is this danger waylaid Malian city of Timbuktu, which is home to 60 thousand people. Timbuktu – one of the oldest settlements in southern Africa, it is older than 1000 years. This city is known for its natural and historical sights far beyond the borders of the Black continent. Unfortunately, our grandchildren will not be able to go diving in the turquoise ocean waters and sunbathe on the white beaches of Timbuktu.
This is interesting: Some areas of this city have fallen in unequal battle with the desert, despite all the efforts of the government of Mali. Now they are half covered with sand, causing thousands of local residents forced to leave their homes.
3. Naples, Italy
Time bomb — Vesuvius volcano could wipe out Naples from the face of the Earth at any time.
Naples is one of the most interesting cities for tourists in Italy. In terms of population (990 thousand inhabitants), it ranks third in the country, second only to Rome and Milan. He is also one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean. The many attractions of Naples, tens, and historic city centre was inscribed on the list of global heritage by UNESCO.
Naples has always had a major influence on the cultural life of the Old world, most conspicuously in the Renaissance and Enlightenment. But the splendor can be destroyed in a matter of hours. Mount Vesuvius, towering over the shore of the Gulf of Naples, is a ticking time bomb. It was he who in ‘ 79 ad destroyed Pompeii.
This is interesting: During the eruption of Vesuvius every second was rejecting half a million tons of molten rocks. In parallel allocated huge amount of heat energy, in tens times exceeding the energy of a nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. The city of Pompeii was destroyed by lava flows in the first hours after the onset of the eruption. According to historians, died of from 16 to 30 thousand people.
The last eruption of Vesuvius dated 1944 year. Experts predict that the next time the volcano will Wake up to 2050. Moreover, long stay of Vesuvius in repose – not good, and the bad news. This means that the next eruption will become more powerful than the previous one. Naples is located in the most dangerous, the so-called “red” zone. This suggests that hundreds of thousands of people may die if you do not have time to evacuate at the first sign of disaster.
2. Bangkok, Thailand
Under the threat of disappearance and the capital of Thailand – Bangkok. A city with a population of seven million is drowning because of sea level rise. At the same time, the underground layer of fresh water, on the contrary, is depleted. The coast of flooding is a serious problem for Bangkok. Over the last century some of the streets of this city have become real channels. Scientists do not doubt that to prevent the catastrophic consequences of this problem need to be solved as early as possible. But agreement on the issue of selecting the optimal solution has not yet been reached. Worst of all, the Thai authorities, it seems, are not going to do anything about it. Bangkok will not flood over night, but if you want to see some unique architectural sights and to feel the unique flavor of Southeast Asia – might want to hurry.
1. Other US cities
Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego — only a small part of cities, which might suffer from floods and storms
Climate change and sea level rise – threats to many coastal cities of the United States. Millions of people in the risk zone, needs to think about how to change their place of residence. Scientists estimate that since 1889, the global sea level has risen 20 centimeters. Today, changes occur 4-5 times faster than 100 years ago, that is, increases the likelihood of serious damage to coastal cities during strong storms.
The analysis of the situation shows that the damage from floods in the next 15 years will increase by almost 2 times. The problem may relate to dozens of major cities. Among them Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Houston, long island, Sacramento, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and others.
I am glad that most cities from our list will not disappear instantly. If people do not have time to solve the problems threatening them, they will have time to move to less dangerous territory. Reason to seriously fear for his life there are only the residents of San Francisco and Naples. The devastating earthquake and the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius has the potential to turn them into ruins in a matter of hours, or even minutes.
