The city of Alexandria in Egypt is sinking, a study published in the journal Earth’s Future has found. Alexandria is famously known as the birthplace of Cleopatra. The study states that buildings have been crumbling in Egypt’s second largest city and its main seaport, and this is because it is sinking due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.

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Alexandria was once a major cultural and intellectual centre after being founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. But it is now going down, according to the study. It famously houses the Catacombs of kom el Shoqafa and the Anfushi Tombs.

Researchers state that the number of buildings being constructed along the seafront has seen a dramatic rise in the last 10 years. Initially, only one building per year was built here, but now as many as 40 structures crop up here each year.

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The study noted that 280 buildings have collapsed in the last 20 years, with 7,000 more at risk of falling down.

More and more buildings are collapsing in Alexandria 

The years between 2014 and 2020 saw 86 buildings collapse, with 201 suffering partial damage. The study states that this caused 85 people to lose their lives. Now that the number of newly cosntructed buildings is rising, experts are concerned about what might happen in the near future.

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Study authors tried to dive into the reason for the collapse of the buildings and found that coastal erosion and the rise of sea levels caused by climate change is triggering the tragedy in Alexandria.

Study co-author Essam Heggy, a water scientist from the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, said, "We are witnessing the gradual disappearance of historic coastal cities, with Alexandria sounding the alarm. What once seemed like distant climate risks are now a present reality."

Rising water levels are making buildings weaker

As the water level rises and saltwater enters the land area, groundwater under the buildings also rises. This can cause the ground to sink, affecting the stability of buildings which become prone to falling down. Saltwater also corrodes the steel reinforcement of the buildings, further descreasing the strength of the buildings, the study noted.

"What we're showing here is that coastlines globally, especially Mediterranean coastlines similar to California's, are already changing and causing building collapses at an unprecedented rate," Heggy said.

Using satellite images from between 1974 and 2021 and city maps dating back to 1887, 1959, and 2001, the researchers analysed how much the sea level had risen. They found that Alexandria's coastline has moved inland by tens of metres in the past few decades. The researchers said that "historic cities like Alexandria" need to be preserved as they "are crucial for safeguarding our shared human heritage."

He added that it "isn't just about saving buildings; it's about preserving who we are."