SAR-BASED SUBSIDENCE MONITORING IN URBAN AREAS DUE TO GROUNDWATER WITHDRAWAL FOR AGRICULTURE: A REVIEW WITH DEMOGRAFIC INDICATORS ASSESSMENT

Intensive groundwater withdrawal is one of the main causes leading to land subsidence in the natural and urban environments. The overexploitation of groundwater in urban areas comes mainly in the context of rapid urbanization, expansion of industrial and agricultural activities, and in some cases, climatic changes. Sustainable urban planning and detection of potential hazards involve the use of adequate instruments such as the continuous monitoring of land subsidence. The satellite remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) techniques offer the opportunity for early detection and continuous monitoring of land subsidence for wide areas, including urban centres. Considering various aspects, a review of scientific contributions where urban subsidence due to the intensive groundwater withdrawal for agricultural purposes is monitored based on InSAR techniques, is presented. As land subsidence in urban areas has a direct impact on the quality of life, the review is completed with demographic indicators assessment, followed by analysis on the dynamics of the population in some urban areas affected by land subsidence.