With rapid urbanization, intensive exploitation of groundwater resources, sea-level rise and ever-intensifying human activities, land subsidence in coastal cities around the world has become an increasingly prominent challenge. As one of the major geological and environmental hazards faced by coastal cities, land subsidence is posing ever more serious threats to the safety of urban infrastructure, the utilization of groundwater resources, flood resilience and sustainable development. Meeting these challenges calls for a deeper understanding of the fundamental geomechanical processes that control the evolution of land subsidence.
Although remarkable progress has been made in land subsidence monitoring, prediction and risk assessment technologies in recent years, the intrinsic Geomechanisms governing the evolution of land subsidence remain insufficiently understood. Key scientific issues currently facing this field include: hydro-mechanical coupling in aquifer–aquitard systems, time-dependent deformation and compression mechanisms in multi-layered geological structures, groundwater–soil interaction processes, and the combined influence mechanisms of natural factors and human activities.
The International Symposium on Geomechanisms of Coastal Land Subsidence will bring together researchers, engineers and professionals in related fields from around the world to exchange the latest research progress in geomechanics, laboratory and physical model tests, field investigation, monitoring and characterization, numerical simulation, and prevention and control strategies. The symposium aims to deepen the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of land subsidence, promote interdisciplinary exchange and international cooperation, and advance the exploration of resilience and sustainable development solutions for coastal cities.
Tongji University
Shanghai Institute of Natural Resources Survey and Utilization
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Chairs:
Prof. Yu Huang, Dean of the College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University
Prof. Hanmei Wang (Professor of Engineering), Shanghai Institute of Natural Resources Survey and Utilization
Prof. Vikas Thakur, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Secretary-General:
Dr. Wuwei Mao, Tongji University
Secretaries:
Zizhang Dong and Yating Ma, Tongji University
Academic contributions are solicited in the following areas, including but not limited to:
(1) Geomechanisms of land subsidence
(2) Hydro-mechanical coupling in multi-aquifer systems
(3) Groundwater-induced deformation and compression mechanisms
(4) Experimental research and physical model tests on land subsidence
(5) Constitutive models of aquifer and aquitard materials
(6) Monitoring and characterization of land subsidence processes
(7) Numerical simulation of hydro-geomechanical coupling processes
(8) Impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on land subsidence
(9) Land subsidence, sea-level rise and coastal city resilience
(10) Case studies, risk assessment and mitigation strategies for coastal land subsidence
October 9–10, 2026
Star Hall, Star Building, Fuxing Island, Shanghai
Address: No. 130 Gongqing Road, Shanghai, China
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Date |
Time |
Agenda |
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October 9 |
Morning |
Registration |
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Afternoon |
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October 10 |
Morning |
Invited plenary presentations |
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Afternoon |
Field visit: Fuxing Island and the Quantum City Exhibition Hall; Geological Exploration Park |
Global keynote speeches: academicians and international experts have been invited to share cutting-edge ideas on geological safety governance and land subsidence prevention and control in megacities. The confirmed invited speakers and their topics are as follows:
1. Academician Yueping Yin / Prof. Huili Gong
2. Prof. Vikas Thakur, Norwegian University of Science and Technology — focusing on Norway’s practice in land subsidence prevention and control
3. Prof. Jun Yang, The University of Hong Kong — focusing on the Geomechanisms of soft soils
4. Prof. Yu Huang — focusing on the evolution mechanisms of land subsidence disasters
5. Prof. Hanmei Wang (Professor of Engineering) — Focusing on Shanghai's Ground Subsidence Prevention and "Digital Intelligence Sinking Control"
6. Prof. Haipeng Guo (Professor of Engineering) — focusing on the achievements of the national land subsidence prevention and control projects
Shanghai Expo Riverside Hotel
Address: No. 1588 Shibo Avenue, Pudong New Area
Contact: Wuwei Mao
Email: maowuwei@tongji.edu.cn
Experts, scholars, researchers and engineering practitioners in the fields of land subsidence, hydrogeology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and related areas are sincerely invited to submit abstracts and participate in the symposium, to conduct in-depth exchanges on the Geomechanisms of coastal land subsidence, share the latest research outcomes, and promote international academic cooperation and innovative development.