CLOSING THE FLOODGATES

The low-lying lands in Southeast Asia are at the mercy of climate change more than most. Flooding is a real risk, coupled with tropical cyclones, poorer communities, and lowlying agricultural land that supports millions of livelihoods. Add to this extensive sand mining causing riverbank erosion and threatening infrastructure, and people’s futures are in serious jeopardy.

SOUTHEAST ASIA FOCUS

At Southampton, we have long-standing expertise on the landscape and the environmental risks – and how to mitigate them, particularly in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

Our academics have developed an extensive understanding of the impact of sand mining in the Mekong River and are now mapping out scenarios to illustrate the impact of mining in different geographical areas. They have also developed thinking about how sand mining and other environmental influences interact with the social wellbeing of those who live on and near the Mekong Delta. And they have modelled likely scenarios related to ‘compound flooding’, which is when two or more combinations of flooding collide.

On the following pages, we put the spotlight on some of the groundbreaking research that is supporting the drive to ensure a bright future for these vulnerable communities.