Imagine your beloved Chatuchak and Artbox being transformed into floating markets
Imagine not fitting in a trip to Bangkok at least once in the year? That’s a disastrous thought — being deprived of a legit Mango Sticky Rice and that Shibuya Toast from After You Cafe.
That might be the case as the land of cheap apparels and street food haven might be fully-submerged by 2030. It is said to be sinking at a rate of 10 cm every year.
You would imagine that the locals might be freaking out incessantly about their soon-to-be submerged city. But, that’s really not the case. The locals have surprisingly taken this piece of news nonchalantly. Which perhaps, is due to the fact that this problem is a slow and silent killer.
Crux of the Problem
Sinking cities such as Venice and Greece are built on soft soil. This especially worsens with urbanization and an increasing population. In the case of Bangkok massly dense and populated landscape that comprises of 5000 tall buildings, 9 million vehicles and rail systems, it has inadvertently resulted in the city to sit precariously on what was once marshland.
Global warming is real, people! It has caused water levels to be continually on the rise, which means the Thai capital is facing a double whammy of challenges.
Currently, Bangkok is only 0.5-2 metres above sea level. A study commissioned by the Thai government found that the country’s capital is endangered – not just because the city is in a low-lying and flood-prone region, but because of how it is being developed. Underground pipelines can tilt or crack under pressure, causing water and sludge to vomit onto the surface. which can disrupt the entire city transportation network.
A New Bangkok?
To combat this situation, Bangkok-based architecture firm S+PBA created a blueprint of a flood resistant community for Bangkok to keep its head above water. The ‘Wetropolis’ allows the city to live with natural flooding instead of resisting it.
It also creates a homeostasis effect that detoxifies the region’s polluted waters. While the design is arguably not wholly practical for a massive city like Bangkok, it hit the headlines when it came out in 2011 – the same year Thailand was inundated by one of the worst floods in its history.
Perhaps in due time, Bangkok will be Asia’s Venice. Imagine your beloved Chatuchak and Artbox being transformed into floating markets.
