NINE WORLD CITIES THAT FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE

Know nine happening cities in the world that have strong chances of being hit by a natural or economic calamity and suffer colossal damage. Experts say these cities might cease to exist but there is always a room to take corrective steps and avoid the untoward. The possible damage can be assessed and corrective steps be taken in advance to avert the disaster.

Read about these cities –

SAN FRANCISCO, USA

A bustling city in California lives under constant shadow of terrible earthquakes. It suffered disastrous earth quake in 1906 with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale. Seismologists are predicting that the city will receive another such disastrous earth quake of the magnitude of 7 to 8 on the Richter scale by 2090s. The chances of the disaster are as strong as 70%.

NAPLES, ITALY

A beautiful Italian city with rich cultural heritage, and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, a historic city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site. Naples exists next to an active volcano on Mount Vesuvius. This volcano destroyed Pompeii completely in 79 BC, and it erupts almost every 100 years, the last eruption was reported in 1944. It is apprehended that next eruption would be sometime in the mid-2000s and many human lives and property is under threat.

DETERIOT, USA

The city may become abandoned very soon. Currently two-fifth of the city is virtually unoccupied. Even now its population has come to a steady decline. Due to its major economic and demographic decline the citizens are migrating outside. Earlier known as the motor city it is on the verge of becoming a ghost town. The city has planned to raze to the ground one-fourth of the city which is uninhabited and concentrate population into certain areas where city is happening.

IVANOVO, RUSSIA

Ivanovo the capital of district Ivanovo Oblast in Russia is on a serious decline. For past some time it is living through bad times. It used to be a major textile centre for the entire USSR and once attracted many women seeking to work and this phenomenon lead to a major gender imbalance. Because of number of women piling up it came to be known as city of brides. Now it is fast losing its active population. Low birth rate poverty, crime and alcohol abuse are continuously destroying the once thriving city with its youth forced to relocate elsewhere for better opportunities.

VENICE, ITALY

One of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world Venice is a popular tourist destination. It is slowly sinking into the ground at a rapidly increasing pace. Instability of the soil makes it more difficult to control the damage. For about 30 years the government has prioritize the city’s preservation. However the officials are reportedly siphoning the money among themselves. If this goes on for long, the beautiful city may well end up disappearing under the Adriatic Sea.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

It is home of the ancient Aztec civilization and it one of the world’s largest cities. But as per present situation the city is slowly sinking into the ground. The problem is its base. The city was built on a dried lake bed, which makes for a poor foundation to build city it is sinking at a rate of 4 inches every year. It has sunk 10 meters in the last 60 years.

BANJUL, GAMBIA

It is capital city of Gambia a small country in West Africa. The city is slowly deteriorating from the combination of a rising ocean and soil erosion. Eventually apprehensions are that it will sink under the water and settlements will be eroded and farms will be destroyed. The government is trying its best to revive the city but no one knows if it will be saved

BANGKOK, THAILAND

A glamorous city is sinking and it is estimated that Bangkok will be no more by the turn of the century, thanks to rapidly rising sea-level. The problem is very real and the government has not yet taken any major steps to curb the problem. It probably may not flood overnight but it is best to visit it soon.

TIMBUKTU, MALI

A city that is sinking in the sand instead of water as it is suffering from the disaster called desertification whereby the fertile areas are becoming dry and arid. Some parts of the city are already half buried in sand. Over 1,000 years old the city is very popular for its scenic locales. Despite several projects to re-green the area there has been no significant success.