A series of strong seasonal storms have brought exceptional flooding to Thailand, the worse the country has seen since 1942. More than nine million people are affected with 373 confirmed dead, and more than a third of the nation’s provinces are flooded. Now, those floodwaters are threatening Bangkok, as more than a billion cubic meters are expected to pass through as they move toward the Gulf of Thailand. The amount of water is roughly equivalent to 480,000 Olympic-sized pools.
Combined with that is the danger of the Chao Phraya River experiencing high tides at this time. While the city is equipped with dikes, they are not sufficient to deal with the amount of flooding faced. Additionally, the increasing number of floods in the region suggests that climate change is the cause, and that Thailand will need to raise dikes and invest in pump stations to withstand it.
