The sinking city

[reader]

From South China Morning Post

 

Bangkok is sinking. How will Thailand’s capital cope when flooding disaster strikes again?

 

With the weight of skyscrapers contributing to the city’s gradual descent into water, Bangkok has become a victim of its own frenetic development

 

As Bangkok prepares to host climate-change talks, the sprawling city of more than 10 million is itself under siege from the environment, with dire forecasts warning it could be partially submerged in just over a decade.

 

A preparatory meeting begins Tuesday in Thailand’s capital for the next UN climate conference, a crunch summit in Poland at the end of 2018 to set rules on reducing greenhouse emissions and providing aid to vulnerable countries.

 

As temperatures rise, abnormal weather patterns – like more powerful cyclones, erratic rainfall, and intense droughts and floods – are predicted to worsen over time, adding pressure on governments tasked with bringing the 2015 Paris climate treaty to life.

 

Bangkok, built on once-marshy land about 1.5 metres (five feet) above sea level, is projected to be one of the world’s hardest hit urban areas, alongside fellow Southeast Asian behemoths Jakarta and Manila.

 

“Nearly 40 per cent” of Bangkok will be inundated by as early as 2030 due to extreme rainfall and changes in weather patterns, according to a World Bank report.

 

Currently, the capital “is sinking one to two centimetres a year and there is a risk of massive flooding in the near future,” said Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace.

 

Seas in the nearby Gulf of Thailand are rising by four millimetres a year, above the global average.

The city “is already largely under sea level”, said Buakamsri.

 

In 2011, when the monsoon season brought the worst floods in decades, a fifth of the city was under water. The business district was spared thanks to hastily constructed dykes.

 

But the rest of Thailand was not so fortunate and the death toll passed 500 by the end of the season.

 

Experts say unchecked urbanisation and eroding shorelines will leave Bangkok and its residents in a critical situation.

 

With the weight of skyscrapers contributing to the city’s gradual descent into water, Bangkok has become a victim of its own frenetic development.

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2162409/bangkok-sinking-how-will-thailands-capital-cope-when

[biguyby]

That is scary.

[Guest]

In Jakarta, the problem is made worse by all the groundwater that is pumped out.

Bangkok banned/restricted that a long time ago, so the sinkage rate has been reduced.

 

What I'm not aware of is any schemes to protect Bangkok from flooding.  

Surely it would make sense to either go for dykes and pumping stations, or at least mandate that all new buildings should be raised up somewhat ? 

If complete areas are redeveloped,  just raise the whole level area by about 1.5m.  With drainage to send the water towards the rivers.

For individual buildings, require the ground level to be raised and the ceiling to be about 2 metres higher than necessary.   Then, the ground floor can be raised up eventually.    

[spoon]

And yet they are still building more skyscrapers. Dusit and soi twilight areas soon to be filled with hotels and apartments too

[vinapu]

And yet they are still building more skyscrapers. Dusit and soi twilight areas soon to be filled with hotels and apartments too

at least  BTS is built properly with vision of being  over the sea urban transport.

 

Both Thailand and Bangkok may pay heavy price in future  for concnetrating country development just on the capital city. 

[PeterRS]

As I understand it the problem in Bangkok really started when overseas "experts" were brought in in the 1950s and who recommended converting most klongs into wide roads. Big mistake!

 

Now the city is prone to annual flooding from two sources - the annual high tides in the Gulf of Thailand sending water up the Chao Phraya and the drainage of floodwaters from upcountry down the Chao Phraya. The problem is that these two events occur at the same time.

 

The 2011 floods started a long way (100 miles?) upstream of the city and then swept south. Nothing could stop them. A Netherlands like dyke system around the city would be ideal. But who would pay the billions of $$ required?