Land loss

The most important causes of land loss in coastal plains are erosion, inadequate sediment supply to beaches and wetlands, subsidence, and global sea level rise.

In historic times, both wetland and land loss typically are the result of a varying, often controversial mixture of natural and anthropogenic factors.

"[6] The main causes of land loss are coastal erosion, inadequate sediment supply, subsidence, and sea level rise.

[11] Because of a highly variable combination of sea level rise, sediment starvation, coastal erosion, wetland deterioration, subsidence, and various human activities, land loss within delta plains is a significant global problem.

[1] The large delta plains of the world, including the Danube, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Mahanadi, Mangoky, McKenzie, Mississippi, Niger, Nile, Shatt el Arab, Volga, Yellow, Yukon, and Zambezi deltas, have all suffered significant land loss as the result of either coastal erosion, internal conversion of wetlands to open water, or a combination of both.

Summary table of the common physical and anthropogenic causes of coastal land loss. [ 1 ]
A simplified figure showing coastal erosion, sediment starvation, subsidence, and sea level rise, the main mechanisms causing delta land loss.