Floods, Heatwaves, Rising Seas — Asia-Pacific’s Urban Future Depends on More Than Just “Smart” Tech
Enter sponge cities: nature-based designs that absorb, store, and release water — while cooling and greening urban spaces.
Why It Matters for APAC
– Coastal megacities like Singapore, Jakarta, and Bangkok face intensifying floods and heatwaves.
– Traditional grey infrastructure can’t always keep pace.
– Nature-based solutions deliver multiple benefits: flood control, cooling, biodiversity, and improved quality of life.
How Leaders Are Acting
– Singapore: “City in Nature” vision with green roofs, tree-lined streets, and restored rivers that absorb floods while creating vibrant parks.
– Jakarta: Wetland restoration and permeable pavements that hold back stormwater and reduce flood risks.
– Bangkok: Blue-green corridors that combine public parks with floodwater buffers, cooling the city while protecting communities.
This is the sponge city approach — building with nature, not against it.
✔ Stops flooding before it starts
✔ Keeps cities cooler in heatwaves
✔ Brings back trees, wetlands, and wildlife
At Strategy&Ops, we help cities across Asia-Pacific embed green infrastructure into master plans, apply data-driven design to track performance, and align stakeholders for real, lasting climate resilience.
Want to explore how your city could adopt sponge city solutions? Get in touch at info@strategyandops.net.
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