Thailand: In Bangkok, floods expose lacking urban resilience

"The irony is that Bangkok and many other Asian hubs such as Jakarta, Manila and Ho Chi Minh City began as agrarian centers that took advantage of fertile soil. As these cities grew in population and popularity, they urbanized, adding highways, industrial parks and suburban malls that are at risk from the very phenomenon for which settlers first came," writes Andrew Nusca for Smart Planet. "It’s clear that the long-term solution is implementing a long-term urban development plan that embraces, not ignores, the city’s flood risk — much like those old homes on stilts."