Flood Management in Bangkok: Advancing Knowledge and Addressing Challenges (PAP016221)

Código

PAP016221

Autores

Richard T. Cooper, Pannee Cheewinsiriwat, Itthi Trisirisatayawong, Wijitbusaba A. Marome, Kanchana Nakhapakorn

Tema

Flood resilient societies through community preparedness

Resumo

The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) is increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate change. The Southeast Asia region is projected to experience heavier precipitation, increased monsoon-related precipitation extremes, and greater rainfall and wind speed associated with tropical cyclones. In terms of population and assets exposed, Bangkok is projected to be one of the top ten cities globally exposed to the impacts of coastal flooding. Flooding is considered the most critical hazard for the city, both from coastal and inland flooding, with potential for peak river run-off, high tide, and heavy cyclone-associated rainfall to coincide towards the end of the year. Flooding caused by riverine run-off and rainfall is a reoccurring phenomenon, as recently experienced in 2011, when one of the worst flooding events in Thai history caused hundreds of mortalities, a large number of displaced people, and severe economic damage. This paper examines development of a research strategy and presents preliminary findings for assessing the impact of climate change on coastal and inland flooding of the BMR, which forms a central component of the five-year international Canadian-funded Coastal Cities at Risk project. Key challenges included the lack of spatial data, requiring development of creative methodologies for flood mapping and modelling impacts. Coastal flooding was modelled by integrating projected absolute sea level rise, land subsidence, and plate tectonic movement; inland flooding was mapped from multi-year historical radar data; and the utility of a digital elevation model (DEM) derived modified topographic index examined for delineating flood-prone areas. Future research will examine the impact of storm surge, rainfall-runoff modelling, and integrate flood hazard and other data into a system dynamics model to provide measures of city resilience.