Bangkok: The capital of Thailand, may have to be moved due to increasing sea levels, a senior official in the nation’s climate change administration stated on Wednesday.
Forecasts continually indicate that Bangkok’s low-lying areas run the risk of being submerged under the sea before the century is out. During the rainy season, flooding already affects a large portion of the busy capital.
The government’s deputy director-general for climate change and the environment, Pavich Kesavawong, issued a warning, stating that the city might not be able to adjust to the world’s current rate of warming. Regarding the rise in global temperatures from pre-industrial levels, he stated, “I think we are beyond the 1.5 (degrees Celsius) already.”
“At this point, we must return and consider adaptation.” “If we continue in our current situation, I imagine Bangkok will be under water already.” According to him, the municipal government of Bangkok is looking into taking steps like erecting dikes similar to those in the Netherlands. However, Pavich stated, “We’ve been thinking about moving,” adding that the talks were still speculative and that the problem was “very complex.”
“In my opinion, it’s a wise decision because it allows us to keep the business, government, and capital areas apart,” he remarked. “Bangkok would remain the capital of the government, but business would be moved.”
