Why Sinking Land, Not Just Rising Seas, Threatens Coastal Cities
New York – October 03, 2026 -- A new episode of the climate interview series Net Zero Speaks tackles a question coastal communities can no longer ignore: what happens when rising seas meet sinking land. The episode, produced by the Planet Classroom Network with the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, features Professor Marco Marani of the University of Padova, Director of the Centre for Climate Change Impacts (CRITICAL).
Hosted by youth climate advocate Ivan Ransom and produced by Gillian Cameron, the conversation centers on what Marani calls 'relative sea-level rise' -- the combined effect of ocean rise and land subsidence. He points to Venice and major river deltas as places where natural sediment compaction and human activity speed up sinking and worsen flood risk.