![]() To add to the pressure, as the water levels in the Gulf of Thailand rise, the city of nearly 11 million people, which sits at about 1.5 meters above sea level, is sinking due to growing urbanization. ![]() In 2011, devastating floods inundated the city, killing hundreds of people. Courtesy Panoramic Studio/LANDPROCESSīangkok – constructed on the floodplains of the Chao Phraya River – is incredibly vulnerable to flooding. Here’s how five cities are trying to reclaim their relationship with water.Ĭhulalongkorn Centenary Park in Bangkok. But they show the possibilities when cities stop seeing water only as a threat to be controlled by concrete. Whether these efforts can scale up quickly enough to meet the enormity of the climate challenge cities face is not yet clear. These vulnerable urban areas are looking to work with, rather than against, water by incorporating it into the fabric of the city – soaking it utp when there’s too much retaining it when there’s too little. “This approach works well when it is possible to predict the extent and volumes of flooding events, but has serious limitations in the current climate unpredictability,” Elisa Palazzo, senior lecturer at UNSW Sydney’s School of Built Environment, told CNN.Īs the climate crisis continues to threaten cities and reshape coastlines, it’s prompted some to try a different way. To protect themselves, cities have tended to focus on trying to keep water out, often turning to concrete: Building up walls, dams and other “gray infrastructure.” ![]() US coasts are expected to see 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise by 2050. Parts of Asia’s largest cities are projected to be underwater by the end of the century. Last year severe flooding caused devastation around the world, including in Nigeria, Pakistan and Australia. Too little leads to parched landscapes and water shortages too much can cause deadly flooding, washing away homes, lives and livelihoods. Cities’ relationship with water is a fragile balance.
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