Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is gradually sinking into the sea at an average rate of 7.5 centimeters per year. In some areas, the rate is as high as 2.5 meters every decade. This subsidence, or sinking of the ground, is mainly caused by excessive groundwater pumping. When water is extracted from underground sources, the soil compacts and loses volume, causing the surface to sink. A World Bank expert cited by Futura-Sciences compared the damage to the underground structure to Swiss cheese, where the removal of water has created numerous empty spaces. The problem is worsened by the fact that Jakarta’s public water supply does not reach all households, forcing many residents to dig their own wells. This increases the demand for groundwater and accelerates subsidence. Additionally, the city's surface is mostly covered by asphalt and concrete, which prevents rainwater from seeping back into the ground and recharging the aquifers. As a result, the groundwater system is not regenerating, making the situation more severe. In response to the growing risk, Indonesia has decided to relocate its capital to a new city called Nusantara, aiming to secure a more stable future for its government and citizens. Subsidence caused by groundwater extraction is difficult to reverse, even if pumping stops. Once the soil has compacted, it typically does not expand again on its own. For example, Tokyo managed to stabilize subsidence in the 1970s by banning excessive pumping, but the ground did not rise. Similarly, Shanghai and Bangkok have implemented stricter regulations and monitoring systems to slow down the sinking process. Mexico City, built on the dried-up bed of Lake Texcoco, is another example of severe subsidence, with some areas having sunk more than 10 meters due to groundwater extraction. In the United States, satellite data published in Nature Cities shows that 20 percent or more of the surface in each of the 28 most populous cities is sinking, mainly due to groundwater extraction. This affects around 34 million people. In New Orleans, subsidence is exacerbated by the city's reliance on dikes and drainage systems, which prevent natural sediment buildup. This was a contributing factor during Hurricane Katrina, when severe flooding devastated the area. Similar patterns are seen in Houston and the Gulf of Texas, where groundwater pumping has accelerated subsidence. A study in Science warns that by 2040, subsidence could threaten 1.6 billion people worldwide, with the World Economic Forum highlighting excessive groundwater extraction as a major cause of urban subsidence, expected to affect 19 percent of the global population.