As flooding increases, these cities are designed to work with -- not against -- the waterCities' relationship with water is a fragile balance. T...

Published on by

As flooding increases, these cities are designed to work with -- not against -- the waterCities' relationship with water is a fragile balance. T...
As flooding increases, these cities are designed to work with -- not against -- the water
Cities' relationship with water is a fragile balance. Too little leads to parched landscapes and water shortages; too much can cause deadly flooding, washing away homes, lives and livelihoods.

Last year severe flooding caused devastation around the world, including in Nigeria, Pakistan and Australia. And it's predicted to get worse. Parts of Asia's largest cities are projected to be underwater by the end of the century. US coasts are expected to see 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise by 2050.

To protect themselves, cities have tended to focus on trying to keep water out, often turning to concrete: Building up walls, dams and other "gray infrastructure."


"This approach works well when it is possible to predict the extent and volumes of flooding events, but has serious limitations in the current climate unpredictability," Elisa Palazzo, senior lecturer at UNSW Sydney's School of Built Environment, told CNN.

As the climate crisis continues to threaten cities and reshape coastlines, it's prompted some to try a different way. These vulnerable urban areas are looking to work with, rather than against, water by incorporating it into the fabric of the city -- soaking it utp when there's too much; retaining it when there's too little.

Whether these efforts can scale up quickly enough to meet the enormity of the climate challenge cities face is not yet clear. But they show the possibilities when cities stop seeing water only as a threat to be controlled by concrete.

Here's how five cities are trying to reclaim their relationship with water.

Attached link

https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/03/26/world/flooding-cities-water-design-climate-intl/index.html?utm_campaign=Waterline%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8iGqsDIBZ1SvpYLsyDxynI9sR1Nh6wmKzh3qewIHZihHn7yK6Qb9CmPjwwdYNyU3ZMIIg8FjYqGGFIiJ4HUNNVioAl6w&_hsmi=253083330&utm_content=253085265&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=a5cf3d15-acce-4b0d-bdbd-067470db0b8f%7Ca162fbe5-7d8b-4109-843c-d9ae1225dce6

Taxonomy