📖+10 XP
🎧+10 XP
✅+15 XP
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?
Related articles
29 Jul 2025
24 Apr 2026
29 Dec 2025
Soil carbon breaks down at very different rates across the US
A study finds that soil carbon decomposition rates across the United States can vary greatly. Researchers used lab incubations, machine learning and mapping to show regional differences and implications for climate models.
26 May 2026
26 Jan 2026