Flooding and meritocracy

Despite spending approximately US$ 1 billion on flood alleviation schemes since 1982, Singapore still has 134 hectares of flood prone land. When 366mm of rain crashed down on Singapore on December 18 2006, some of these areas were submerged up to 0.5 m. The forces of nature, you can't fight them even if, as the Public Utilities Board, you were named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006. more

Well, I guess they did rather well when the same 366mm of rain fell on South Johore, Malaysia, causing floods of up to 5m, or ten times the depth of inundation in Singapore. The IHT, Asia has more

I don't know whether it pays to be small or to have "affiramtive action" planners and engineers, or both. Go figure ...