Industrialization is creating new communities that require a more complex kind of living for survival. In fact, studies show that the increase in communities that have been urbanized in South East Asia is now starting to be overwhelming. Compared to the rate of growth to the other growing countries across the globe, such industrialization is happening five times faster than all the rest.
The cities where people migrate to live and find work are becoming overcrowded. By 2030, it is expected that the population in urban cities will grow dramatically from 270 million today to 373 million in a span of ten years. Sadly, the local government is having a hard time catching up with the fast-growing population.
Government buildings, transportation as well as manufacturing zones have been built in locations that will prove to be inappropriate in the long run. Examples to illustrate such scenarios can be found practically all over Asia. In Ayutthaya, an ancient city in Thailand, the expansive rice plains have been designated as areas for industrial estates. It is for this very reason that it has become more prone to flooding, even with just a little amount of rainfall.
The roads in some of the major cities in Asia have been built over water drainage systems and canals, also subjecting these cities to massive flooding when weather conditions continue to become worse. In one of the countries, the builders of the airport have reported having problems with local farmers. Their construction of the airport has filled up the surrounding watersheds that later caused serious issues on water management.
It is in instances like this that governments realize that the industrialization they have been pushing for has directly put the major cities, not to mention communities, at great risk. Floods, droughts and the increase in the sea levels will only cause more harm.
"The cities are expanding in a rather unsustainable manner. Climate change will only make conditions worse," said Mr. Pakamas. "Another problem is that there is a limited amount of data to help prepare a huge plan for disaster management. If only data were available, it would be easier for scientists to work on the task at hand."
