{"id":132592,"date":"2019-03-21T09:48:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T02:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/sink-or-swim-keeping-jakarta-and-bangkok-afloat\/"},"modified":"2022-12-11T02:54:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-10T19:54:43","slug":"sink-or-swim-keeping-jakarta-and-bangkok-afloat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/sink-or-swim-keeping-jakarta-and-bangkok-afloat\/","title":{"rendered":"Sink or swim: Keeping Jakarta and Bangkok afloat"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nThere\u2019s no lack of imagination in the design for Wetropolis, a new vision of Bangkok proposed by Thai architect Ponlawat Buasri. Thailand\u2019s capital was built on highly compressible marshland; today, added pressures of unchecked urban development, excessive groundwater pumping, and concrete that cannot absorb flood water add up to a dire prognosis. Considering rising sea levels and swelling monsoons, the city could be completely submerged in less than 15 years, Thailand\u2019s National Reform Council warns. Buasri\u2019s sci-fi-esque solution urges elevating the city over restored mangrove forests, which would absorb carbon dioxide, naturally filter water, and add acres of green space. Locating the budget for such an enterprise, however, is pure fantasy, according to Dr. Supachai Tantikom. A former adviser to Bangkok\u2019s governor and now working with 100 Resilient Cities \u2014 a Rockefeller Foundation-funded project that helps at-risk cities form resilience strategies \u2014 he says Bangkok would be better off taking a more immediately realisable approach. \u201cWe\u2019re sinking at an average of one to two centimetres per year,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat we need is better land and water management, using existing infrastructure and resources.\u201d More:\u00a0Why branded homes will remain hits for Thailand in 2019 The key, Dr. Supachai says, is to work with water instead of against it. He envisions diverting excess water to surrounding rice farms, for example, where it could be stored; the government would compensate farmers for their trouble. The idea recalls the Netherlands\u2019 successful \u201cRoom for the River\u201d project, which protects swathes of land at the expense of others; in some cases, allowing farmers\u2019 fields to flood. The Netherlands is a leading example of welcoming, rather than resisting, water. With one-third of the country below sea level, its cities are increasingly being landscaped to take water in, rather than keep it out. Take Rotterdam\u2019s Benthemplein water plaza: an inviting recreational space when dry, with room for basketball, skateboarding, and an amphitheatre. When it rains, however, the plaza can capture and hold up to 1.7 million litres. This is later released into an underground filtration device, helping maintain groundwater balance during drier weather.\u00a0 Bangkok is sinking at an average of one to two centimetres per year. What we need is better land and water management, using existing infrastructure and resources Designing cities around these principles is also catching on in China, which in 2015 launched its \u201cSponge City\u201d initiative. It has since ramped up initial testing in 16 cities to a total of 30, including Shanghai. Elsewhere, more flamboyant solutions still gain traction. Jakarta might be among the world\u2019s fastest-growing economies, but it is also sinking faster than any other large city on Earth: an estimated 25 centimetres per year. The reasons mirror those of Bangkok\u2019s \u2014 particularly illegal well-digging, given just one-third of its 10 million-strong population has access to piped water. Officials are now banking on a USD40 billion project to construct a colossal dike \u2014 stretching 25 miles across Jakarta Bay \u2014 to save them. This giant sea wall would sire a lagoon, around which an all-new mega-city, gleaming with luxury skyscrapers and shopping malls, is to be built on reclaimed land. Recalling the brass of Dubai\u2019s palm- and world-shaped man-made islands, this new metropolis has been anointed the \u201cGreat Garuda\u201d, and is designed in the shape of the mythical bird. Not everyone is thrilled at the idea. Criticisms range from potential environmental damage (scientists fear the lagoon\u2019s trapped freshwater would turn septic), to human rights violations (traditional fishing communities are being evicted to make way for the development, while their livelihood \u2014 the bay\u2019s fishing grounds \u2014 is destroyed by the construction). Perhaps Jakarta\u2019s problems would be better resolved by Dr. Supachai\u2019s recommended approach for Bangkok. \u201cThe problem isn\u2019t just the city\u2019s; we need to study the whole catchment area,\u201d he says. \u201cYou have to look at the bigger picture.\u201d This article originally appeared as one in a four-part series in Issue No. 149\u00a0of PropertyGuru Property Report Magazine
\n
\nSource : property-report.com
\nRead more…Sink or swim: Keeping Jakarta and Bangkok afloat<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no lack of imagination in the design for Wetropolis, a new vision of Bangkok...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-yuA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":119315,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/private-equity-fund-9-basil-eyes-first-acquisition-in-bangkok-as-distress-mounts-in-thailands-property-sector\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":0},"title":"Private-equity fund 9 Basil eyes first acquisition in Bangkok, as distress mounts in Thailand\u2019s property sector","date":"November 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\r A private-equity fund backed by Thailand\u2019s Chiaravanont family, among others, is likely to acquire a residential development in Bangkok following the close of a maiden fund worth US$120 million.Founded by Schwin Chiaravanont and Kris Panijpan, 9 Basil is the Southeast Asia-focused investment arm of Bangkok-based Blueprint Forest, and is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":593,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/thailands-priciest-land-is-officially-located-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":1},"title":"Thailand\u2019s priciest land is officially located in\u2026","date":"December 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Hint: It\u2019s certainly not in the Omkoi district of Chiang Mai Thailand\u2019s treasury department has revealed the results\u00a0of its land price appraisal for 2016-2019, finding that property on the Silom Road in central Bangkok boasts the highest prices in the country, reports the\u00a0Bangkok Post. Since their last report in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/silom-most-expensive-land-thailand-800x410.jpg?fit=800%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":109474,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/thailands-king-exempt-from-taxes-on-some-properties\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":2},"title":"Thailand\u2019s king exempt from taxes on some properties","date":"July 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Thailand\u2019s King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be exempt from taxes on some of his land, according to a government announcement.The king, who marked his 67th birthday on Sunday, has overseen major changes to the way royal affairs are managed since taking the throne in 2016.The Crown Property Bureau, which manages\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38849,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/bangkok-condos-soar-to-their-highest-off-plan-prices-yet\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":3},"title":"Bangkok condos soar to their highest off-plan prices yet","date":"December 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Will the Thai capital sustain this rate of growth next year? The Bangkok skyline with MahaNakhon, Thailand\u2019s tallest tower. george photo cm \/ Shutterstock.com It appears that the Bangkok luxury home market will finish the year with crowning success. Asking prices of off-plan, high-end condominiums in the city\u2019s downtown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23365,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/thailands-luxury-developers-seek-outside-investments\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":4},"title":"Thailand\u2019s luxury developers seek outside investments","date":"August 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Thai developers are hitting the road to showcase luxury condo developments Bangkok\u2019s skyline with the structurally impressive MahaNakhon Tower. Image credit: MJ Prototype\/Shutterstock Faced with a flagging market, Thai luxury condo developers are striking out abroad to showcase their projects. Leading the charge is Pace Development Corp, the mastermind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":669,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/3-things-to-remember-from-thailands-property-stimulus-proposal\/","url_meta":{"origin":132592,"position":5},"title":"3 things to remember from Thailand\u2019s property stimulus proposal","date":"January 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\r First-time buyers are the main beneficiaries of the kickstarter\u00a0package In a bid to revive\u00a0Thailand\u2019s waning real estate sector, Finance Minister\u00a0Sommai Phasee\u00a0recently approved a stimulus package aimed for to\u00a0increase the pace of property transfer in the country, the\u00a0Bangkok Post\u00a0recently reported. These measures should be particularly helpful to first-time buyers and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/bangkok-government-property-stimulus-800x410.jpg?fit=800%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132592"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132592\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}