Water has historically shaped settlement patterns in Ubon Ratchathani, a city located in the seasonal floodplain of the Mun River in northeastern Thailand. Traditionally, the city followed a “wet ideology”, integrating vernacular knowledge and adaptive practices that allowed communities to live with seasonal flooding. Over recent decades, however, urban development has shifted toward a “dry ideology”, relying on hard embankments and rigid flood-control infrastructure. While intended to protect the city, these interventions disrupt natural floodplain dynamics and increase vulnerability to flooding—an issue intensified by climate change and rapid urbanization.

In my thesis, I propose a transformative water-based urbanism that reintroduces wet ideology by combining vernacular adaptive knowledge with modern engineering techniques. Through a hybrid design approach, I explore elastic land–water interfaces and gradients of wetness that accommodate both seasonal water dynamics and urban growth. My design framework operates across multiple scales—from the river basin to specific urban sites—and is informed by extensive fieldwork, historical analysis, and future flood scenarios.

The outcome of my thesis is a comprehensive framework for sustainable riverfront and floodplain development that restores ecological functions, strengthens urban resilience, and supports culturally rooted ways of living with water. While grounded in the specific context of Ubon Ratchathani, the strategies developed in my work are adaptable to other flood-prone riverine cities facing the combined pressures of climate change and urban expansion.

With my thesis, I contribute to sustainability by developing a water-based urbanism that aligns urban development with natural floodplain dynamics, rather than attempting to control or exclude water. By integrating vernacular adaptive knowledge with modern engineering, I propose a hybrid and climate-resilient alternative to conventional flood-control strategies based on hard infrastructure.

My work supports ecological sustainability by restoring floodplain functions, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing long-term flood risk through nature-based solutions. At the same time, it advances social sustainability by building on local knowledge, preserving cultural practices, and promoting inclusive and water-adapted ways of living. Economically, the framework prioritizes long-term resilience and cost-effectiveness, reducing reliance on expensive, rigid engineering interventions.

Because my approach builds on existing landscapes, cultural practices, and urban structures, it is scalable, transferable, and realistic to implement. As such, my thesis offers a sustainable model for flood-prone cities worldwide, contributing to climate adaptation, social equity, and long-term urban resilience, in line with the vision of the Future Proef Award.