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Sponge city ideas to reduce urban flooding in AsiaCEFR A1
22 Sept 2025
Adapted from Hasya Nindita, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Kelvin Zyteng, Unsplash
Level A1 – BeginnerCEFR A1
2 min
69 words
- Extreme weather causes urban flooding in Southeast Asia.
- In March 2025 heavy rains hit Jakarta.
- At least nine people died in Jakarta.
- Floods displaced 90,000 people in the area.
- A Manila downpour equalled five days of rain.
- Ho Chi Minh streets had over a metre of water.
- Climate change makes these storms worse.
- Sponge cities absorb rainwater slowly, not drain it.
- Bangkok has Benjakitti Forest Park as an example.
Difficult words
- flood — Large amount of water that covers land.floods
- rescue — To save someone from danger.
- weather — Conditions outside, like rain or sun.
- event — Something that happens, an occurrence.events
- rain — Water that falls from clouds.rains
- home — Place where people live.homes
- video — Moving pictures recorded by a camera.videos
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How do you feel about extreme weather?
- Have you ever seen a flood?
- What can people do to prepare for bad weather?
