People urged to conserve water as reservoirs running low

By THE NATION

 

Somkiat Prajamwong

 

The Office of Natural Water Resources (ONWR) is calling on people to conserve water and refrain from growing off-season rice because the country’s 13 large dams are less than 30 per cent full.

 

“Four dams in the North, four in the Northeast, two in East, one in the Central region and two in the West are at less than 30 per cent of their capacity,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said.

 

“The country’s 141,489 dams and reservoirs have 42.9 billion cubic metres of water, or are approximately 52 per cent full,” he added.

 

The office estimates that when the dry season starts in November, the four dams that supply water to the Chao Phraya Basin, namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwai Noi Bumrung Dan and Pasak Jolasid, will only have 6.27 billion cubic metres of water, which is not enough to irrigate off-season rice in the area.

 

“ONWR will have to carefully manage the use of water in the next growing seasons in case next year’s dry spell lasts longer than expected,” he said.

 

“We have calculated water for domestic consumption at 18 million cubic metres daily and urge people to conserve water so it does not exceed this amount.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30395383

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-30

 

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Did I dream last week's flooding?  ????

 

Didn't they just announce post Noul that the resevoir levels are now OK?

I wish they would make up their minds.

We are at the end of the raining season and what did he say?! ????

And once again all I can do is shake my head in utter disbelief.

 

It's been raining cats and dogs like clockwork for at least the past three weeks. And just a few weeks ago, large swathes of Thailand were suffering heavy flooding.

 

And now all of a sudden the largest reservoirs are down to 30% capacity?

 

Something is going seriously wrong with water management in this country.

This government warning coming on the last day of September, at the tail end of what is known as "rainy season". Yes it's been a less than normal rainy season, but come on, clearly coupled with pathetic water management. Where are all those promised pipelines and "monkey cheeks"? Who suffers? Wealthy politicians? NOPE! Millions of farmers told to skip an entire crop? Sadly Yes! The "Office of Natural Water Resources" needs a re-shuffle, replaced by competent officials who's job is performance-based. 

3 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

Did I dream last week's flooding?  ????

 

,,,depends where you live.. 

Posts with off topic comparisons to California and Colorado have been removed as they are not related to Thailand. 

You may think there has been a lot of rain, but I look to the river at

the rear of our house, we have 10 steps down to the water and this

year it's only reached the bottom step once.

 

20 years ago it would reach the top step, once overflowing the top

step, over the years there has definitely been less and less water,

in the last few years it's been the lowest ever.

 

People in Issan and some other parts of Thailand are really suffering

from lack of water, and it's the end of the rainy season, not looking good.

regards worgeordie

 

16 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

And once again all I can do is shake my head in utter disbelief.

 

It's been raining cats and dogs like clockwork for at least the past three weeks. And just a few weeks ago, large swathes of Thailand were suffering heavy flooding.

 

And now all of a sudden the largest reservoirs are down to 30% capacity?

 

Something is going seriously wrong with water management in this country.

Can't rely on rainfall alone to fill ponds, lakes and reservoirs. In Isaan, the rainfall is just 60% of the seasonal average (last 30 years). However the rainfall in 2020 is 80% compared to the last 5 years. So the trend, certainly in NE Thailand, is for less rain.

 

A pond could lose up to one cm of water, per 24 hours, due to evaporation in hot, dry weather, and in a year around 90 cm. Now if there is only 80cm of rain falling and 90cm is being evaporated, there can be a problem.

 

To researchers of world weather systems, these statements world seem to be acceptable.

Really?  Here in Lamphun province where I live the rivers, lakes, ponds, and catchment basins are full.  It's much much better than last year this time.  Didn't realize that the big reservoirs are still that low.  Hopefully we get a couple more tropical depressions rolling through before the end of the rain season.  But at a local level we are definitely better off than last year. 

Thailand's management of water matches it management of all other governance !

The Eastern seaboard area has not really had much rain over the past few years, certainly a lot less than it should be normally.

Mabprachan reservoir is very low for this time of the year and with the end of the rainy season nigh, it is not going to get much better.

One has to wonder what it would be like if there had been the normal flow of tourists.

There has been water rationing all year in the area and next year looks like it will be a lot worse.

Just west of Udon the run off from the rain has caused the local canal to rise once this wet season and that was Monday this week

Normally all the low lying paddies would have flooded a couple of times during the wet season because said canal over flows

For Brits... The ubiquitous hose pipe ban is on the horizon...

the water has been trumped with very few tropical thunderstorm.  global warming may e here.  Passak Dam has let virtually no water out for the last two years.  You can't manage water that you don't have

So the rainy season is (almost) coming to an end and the dams are only 30% full? How is that even possible? They should be filled to the brim by now.

21 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

And once again all I can do is shake my head in utter disbelief.

 

It's been raining cats and dogs like clockwork for at least the past three weeks. And just a few weeks ago, large swathes of Thailand were suffering heavy flooding.

 

And now all of a sudden the largest reservoirs are down to 30% capacity?

 

Something is going seriously wrong with water management in this country.

Whilst I agree that it has been raining a lot, it is not how much rain actually fell, it is where it fell that matters. If it fell outside the reservoirs catchment area it its really wasted water.

2 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

So the rainy season is (almost) coming to an end and the dams are only 30% full? How is that even possible? They should be filled to the brim by now.

The rainy season has been poor, in terms of actual rain measurements. Rain alone cannot fill reservoirs. They need run offs from higher areas, streams and rivers to flow into them and top them up.

 

Water has to be conserved in areas, such as Isaan. The way to do it is not to waste water when it does come along and to run it into lakes, reservoirs and even rivers, that will then take the water to where it's needed to be stored. In short; water management (I'm here if you need me Cha Cha).

 

This shortage of water could be the most challenging thing that Thailand has had to deal with since WW11.

Edited October 1, 20205 yr by owl sees all

Once again!

Will anything be done to stop framers growing second crop rice?

Not a chance and come the end of the year, these greedy farmers will be pumping the rivers dry to water their (illegal) rice crops.

I am not excusing the incompetent water management, but if the general population will not obey instructions to conserve water, there is not much hope for the country.

Recent government have had more power than they need, but not the courage to implement policies that are needed, so that is where part of the blame lies.