Building and in some cases whole villages or towns have been abandoned because of the sinking and shifting of ground surface due to sub-surface mining. Mines under towns can cause extensive damage to buildings, roads, and the gas, water and sewerage systems.
Falling water tables have also exacerbated land subsidence in many regions as well as saltwater intrusion into groundwater. Parts of California's San Joaquin Valley, for example, have sunk by 8 metres since the 1920s, causing land fissures and disruption to roads, railways and housing.