Kotchakorn Voraakhom: The architect helping sinking cities fight flooding

From CNN

When floods devastated Bangkok more than a decade ago, Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom became determined to help her sinking hometown fight this deadly climate threat.

The floods “changed my life,” said Voraakhom, who studied at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. “(It was) the turning point, when I started using the tools of landscape architecture (to tackle) climate change.”

The 2011 floods killed hundreds and displaced millions. Out of Thailand’s 76 provinces, 65 were declared flood disaster zones.

“For us, climate change is primarily a water crisis,” she said. “Our people can feel its impacts in their daily lives, each year through worsening floods, rising sea levels, and severe drought.”

A city of water

Bangkok, a city of almost 11 million, is extremely vulnerable to flooding. Situated in the low-lying Chao Phraya River Delta, it sits just 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) above sea level. According to the World Bank, 40% of Bangkok could be flooded by 2030 due to more intense rainfall. The city is already sinking by up to two centimeters (0.8 inches) each year.

In many sinking cities, including Bangkok, the current urban infrastructure is not fit for purpose and is “reducing our ability to adapt (to climate change),” said Voraakhom, noting that many of Bangkok’s waterways and canals have been destroyed or have fallen into disrepair. “We need to fix them and rethink the way we develop (cities),” she said.

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