Bangkok: a new wave to stop the fear of water

The rise of sea and ocean levels is one of the most potentially harmful effects related to climate change. In some parts of the world — particularly the eastern coast of the United States and the greatest urban areas in Southeast Asia — this is a top priority. Here, designers and policymakers are learning to cope with a now-irreversible scenario.

Kotchakorn Voraakhom is one of the most authoritative voices in international landscape design, and for years, she has been working in Bangkok to increase the city’s “porosity” and adaptive capacities — especially for the benefit of its most vulnerable communities. Her perspective is clear: if we can no longer prevent the consequences of the climate crisis, we must learn how to live with them.

The projects of her studio, Landprocess, align with this vision: from green roofs to efficient water management, from implementing urban agriculture and forests to creating wetlands in the densest areas. Through her design philosophy and commitment as a landscape architect, Kotchakorn Voraakhom will address one of the most pressing urban challenges of our time.