Opinion | How ‘smart cities’ can protect communities from climate risks
As floods threaten coastal and inland residents in Asia, policymakers must put those most affected at the forefront of mitigation solutions
According to a study commissioned by the Asia Development Bank in 2012, up to 410 million urban dwellers and 341 million inland residents are at risk of coastal flooding in Asia. Sudden-onset events like flash floods are especially frequent in densely populated cities, where impermeable surfaces, constrained drainage and under-resourced flood management systems reduce warning times and heighten vulnerability.
Catastrophic floods in South Korea around the same time were labelled once-in-a-century events by the country’s national weather agency, claiming at least 18 lives.
Just last month, Bali, Indonesia, experienced its worst floods in a decade, displacing hundreds and destroying homes. Earlier this year, major flooding in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta displaced tens of thousands of people.