Designing a Sponge City Model for Thailand towards Urban Resilience

Client: ADB
Date: July 2024 – December 2024
Location: Bangkok & Khon Kaen

The Thailand Sponge City Model project is an innovative urban resilience initiative designed to address the pressing challenges of climate change in Thailand’s urban areas. Focusing on flood management, drought mitigation, and urban heat reduction, this project aims to implement nature-based solutions (NBS) in selected pilot cities. The concept revolves around transforming urban areas to function like sponges – absorbing, storing, and purifying rainwater, and releasing it slowly as needed. This approach not only manages water-related risks but also enhances overall urban livability and sustainability. The project will involve developing tailored guidelines, policies, and financing strategies for Thailand, as well as creating detailed framework plans for three to five pilot cities. Through a combination of technical expertise, policy development, and capacity building, the project seeks to create a replicable model for urban climate resilience that can be scaled across Thailand and potentially serve as a blueprint for other Southeast Asian countries facing similar climate challenges. By integrating green infrastructure with traditional urban planning, the Sponge City Model aims to create more resilient, sustainable, and livable urban environments that can thrive in the face of climate uncertainties.

The consultant team successfully executed a comprehensive range of services to support the development and implementation of the Thailand Sponge City Model project. Their work was crucial in laying the foundation for urban resilience strategies across the selected pilot cities. The consultants provided comprehensive services to develop the Thailand Sponge City Model project, focusing on urban planning and resilience.

Key Tasks

  • Contributed to four main outputs through report writing, presentations, and training workshops.
  • Developed sponge city guidelines and policy recommendations tailored to Thailand’s context.
  • Created sponge city frameworks for pilot cities, including climate risk assessments and investment prioritization strategies.