With rising sea levels, Bangkok struggles to stay afloat

[DonViejo]

2 SEP 2018

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 percent" 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.

more
https://www.afp.com/en/news/2265/rising-sea-levels-bangkok-struggles-stay-afloat-doc-18o4x91

[dalton99a]

1. .

[pangaia]

2. Sad,,,,,

I was in Bangkok many years ago. Loved it. traveled on the river, into the canals,
temples, tuks tuks, CUISINE !!!!!
Energetic, lively.....

It was a magical place.

[MoonRiver]

3. We were also there in 1997.

We were on the river where Apocalypse Now was filmed, and walked across the Bridge on the River Kwai, which was one of my parents' favorite movies (both served in WWII, dad in China and mom stateside). Only unpleasant thing was the horrendous traffic downtown.

[pangaia]

4. I was there probably 1993 ish.

I had been about 10 days in Singapore just before. Spotless city due to, well ya know.. :&gt )

The first few days in Bangkok I almost hated it.. yes -traffic fumes, noisy, ..
Then, suddenly one day, I guess I connected with it, sort of 'got it,' and from that moment on loved it.

Then we went to Chiang Mai for several days-- much quieter, smaller, walked a lot.. FOOD !!!!!!!

THEN I rented a car and we drove NW, up into the jungle to Mae Hong Son, near the Burmese border, which now I guess is a tourist trap. But it wasn't such then. just building the airport. Stayed in an open air 'bungalow' on a mountainside, that I had found I think in SMALL PLANET. The owner was an Australian ex-pat married to a Thai woman.(boy could she cook!). they lived in a 'BIG bungalow.' We arrived after dark and when the guy saw us pull in he said, "How the hell did you find us?" because there had been no way to contact them. LOL He usually only rented to friends.. but let us stay several nights..

looked sort of like this- HA HA That's a LOOOOONG URL

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x30da802fb5067967%3A0x75378ace551e9f36!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4zaHR0cHM6Ly9vc3Ryb3Zvay5ydS9yb29tcy9ra19odXQv!5smae%20hong%20son%20bungalows%20-%20Google%20Search&imagekey=!1e1!2shttps%3A%2F%2Fcdn.ostrovok.ru%2Ft%2F1024x768%2Fcarsolize%2F3d%2Feb%2F3debeca38dd14f6f98a1490edd7f317bbf0baf62.jpeg

[MoonRiver]

5. Wow, that sounds like a fun visit!

We were in Hong Kong and got bored, believe it or not, and booked an excursion to Thailand.

[pangaia]

6. BORED?? IN HK?

Are you an unstable genius??



Hell, just EAT !!!!!!!!!!!!
Then EAT again, then again......
Keep doing it.............

Soon you will no longer be bored.

[MoonRiver]

8. Well, we had been there a long time, bout one and a half weeks. Hubby doing business.

Anyway, we have a bizarre story about that trip. The day we left a typhoon was scheduled to hit HK. We were up in the air, heading for Bangkok when it hit. All hotels were on shut down the entire time we were gone. The day we had scheduled to return, typhoon and lock downs were over! So we went back, spent a couple more days and returned to the states.

[pangaia]

9. Wow! That WAS a lucky turn of events....

I've been to HK just once.. 2001. I was in Guangzhou and elsewhere in China for about 3 weeks. Then took the train to Shenzhen for a couple days then to HK for a about a week..

[MoonRiver]

10. We also went to Guangzhou.

A couple of months ago we were in Xiamen and Shanghai. And you are correct about the food, except my waistline suffers!

[pangaia]

11. I love Xiamen...

Now Shanghai.....did you make it to the "dumpling street?"

Of course there's more than one. LOL.
Did you make it to Yu Garden? really old..

I have a friend in the Shanghai Symphony.... personal standing invite to visit.. OH MY--- EAT !!!!!!!

[MoonRiver]

12. We didn't make it to those things.

We were only there 2 days, and hubby was working a lot. We did go on a river cruise which was fantastic!

[lucca18]

7. My brother lives in Bangkok. I'm sending him this article!

He’s lived there for six years and loves it.
But I miss him and would love to see him move back near me.