Researchers are working to overcome flooding with technology, according to Nhân Dân, a news service in Vietnam.
Flooding in Hà Nội, the Vietnamese capital, occurs often, even when there's not an excessive amount of rain. Researchers wanted to understand why, so they looked at remote sensing data and satellite images. They created an algorithm that can predict which areas are the most likely to flood and how much rain it takes to make it happen.
Flooding causes all kinds of problems for the people who have to live through it. Not only can they lose homes, businesses, and their livelihoods, but it can also spread disease, cause erosion, and harm wildlife, according to National Geographic. In Hà Nội, flooding causes parts of the city to basically shut down because they become isolated by the waters that surround them.
This new technology enables better city planning. The United Nations explains that better planning of urban areas keeps people safe and raises their quality of life, allowing them to build wealth and well-being along with it. Now that people in Hà Nội have a better understanding of which areas are most likely to flood and when they can expect that to happen, they can put mitigation strategies in place to prevent it and to help people when it does happen.
Other communities have used urban planning strategies to counteract rising sea levels and have created newer, more advanced materials to build better structures. If you want to see more resources invested in urban planning initiatives such as this one, vote for politicians who will support such projects.
"We cannot stop the rain, but we can reduce flooding through science," said Pham Minh Hai, deputy director of the National Remote Sensing Department, according to Nhân Dân. "Remote sensing and GIS provide valuable references to effectively support decision-making in urban planning and land-use management."
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Other cities can learn from this example and apply it to their own planning and city management.
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