health
Millions of homes in London, Essex and Kent at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Analysis pinpoints areas most vulnerable to hotter, drier weather causing ground to shrink and drag foundations down
TL;DR
- Millions of homes in London, Essex, and Kent are vulnerable to climate-related subsidence.
- Hotter, drier weather causes the ground to shrink, dragging down property foundations.
- The most vulnerable areas include London, Essex, Kent, and land from Oxford to the Wash.
- Subsidence can significantly reduce property value and require costly engineering work.
- By 2070, over 1.8 million properties could be affected under a medium emissions scenario.
- Highly populated parts of London and Kent are identified as most susceptible.