Thailand Is Shrinking As Coastal Erosion Takes A Toll

[george]

Thailand is shrinking as coastal erosion takes a toll

BANGKOK: -- Erosion is biting two square kilometres of land off Thailand every year, according to a report issued by the World Bank.

"This means about Bt6 billion economic damage," Jitendra Jha of the World Bank said yesterday. He said erosion was one of the world's major environmental problems.

According to Jha, the coastal environment has suffered adverse impacts from the fact that the population and activities along the coast of Thailand have been increasing over the past 30 decades. For example, with increased sea-fishery activities and shrimp farms, about 80 per cent of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea and 50 per cent in the Gulf of Thailand have been deteriorating.

He said construction of piers, dams and digging for artesian water also aggravated the erosion.

Jha pointed that Ban Khun Samut Cheen in Samut Prakan alone lost more than one square kilometre during the past 30 years.

Natural Resource and Environment Ministry director-general Nisakorn Kositrat said her ministry had joined hands with relevant authorities in tackling erosion problem in the Gulf of Thailand.

"We have launched an initiative to tackle the problem in five provinces, with Ban Khun Samut Cheen being included," Nisakorn said. She said the initiative covered surveys to identify what caused the erosion so as to tackle the problems at its root.

"If any structure is found to have caused erosion, it will be improved," she said. For structures that cannot be improved, Nisakorn vowed to remove it if its existence meant the erosion would get worse.

She said the bill on the promotion of marine and coastal resource management, when enforced, would allow coastal communities' participation in the management.

Currently, the Council of State is reviewing the bill that has already obtained the Cabinet's green light.

Jha described local community participation as one of the key factors for efficient environmental management.

--TNA 2007-06-15

[farangsay]

I always have a question in my mind when I read stuff like this. Especially stuff like "2 square km/year 6 billion bt".

Who is this guy I thought. So I Altavista'd him (I know you all use Google but for those who don't know me I'm a trifle weird).

Found him on an ICRC site - MIA in Nepal.

http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/mis_npk.ns...33;OpenDocument

So if any of you have you have contacts in the World bank could you pass the message for this guy to call home.

[astral]

Soil eroded from one area usually builds up in another.

[PeaceBlondie]

If Thailand's area is over half a million sq km, a loss of 2 sq km per year means the kingdom will disappear in another 255,000 years. I'm sure it's a problem at the coastline.

In 2002, I went back to Corpus Christi, Texas, where you could swim downtown in the 1970's. I doubt the entire bay exceeds a meter anywhere. Hurricanes create and destroy entire islands. What is the right amount of concern to show for this problem?

[Scott]

Yesterday there was an article in the BKK Post about land loss in Ban Kuthien. It gave figures that are considerably larger than those listed as to the amount of land loss--at least according to my recollection (don't have the paper anymore).

I also remember reading something about rising sea levels wouldn't affect Thailand because it's too far from the Poles!!

A little hard to get myself worked up with the kind of figures they throw around and the logic they use.

[bobbbandung]

Here`s a one even if slightly off thread. I questioned a medical officer about the new virilent health and safety regulations now being implemented within most non third world engineering practices. It concerned an eyewash station and the instructions stating must be drained and flushed every week!! This is about 15 gallons(uk) going down the drain every week, or use our de-bugger 8fl0z at 50 dollars (u/s)for x4 bottles that lasts 6 months each before a flush is required!!! Being conciensious and having a multitude of these eyewash stations and an awful lot of precious water being dunmped down the drain(middle east) I asked the question to this guy(indian brit origin) can we use distilled water as we have an abundence of it and should be bug free for 6 months, saving both water and finances. The answer was "your concerne for the water shortage is commendable! but after all where is our planets water really going? I do not seee any of it whizzing off into outerspace, so it`s all <deleted> keep flushing!!!!

Maybe that`s why they are officers!!!!!!

I am begining to apreciate bhuddism!!!!

[bino]

In 2002, I went back to Corpus Christi, Texas, where you could swim downtown in the 1970's. I doubt the entire bay exceeds a meter anywhere. Hurricanes create and destroy entire islands. What is the right amount of concern to show for this problem?

I agree PB... it is all well and good to be concerned about it, but at some point people will have to realize that the earth is a constantly changing place, and that trying to battle with Mother Nature will be a losing proposition at best, and an expensive or even dangerous one at worst.

[Jimjim]

Soil eroded from one area usually builds up in another.

Such as the bottom of the sea floor.

[Tony Clifton]

Soil eroded from one area usually builds up in another.

Such as the bottom of the sea floor.

And this phenomenon happening all over the world contributes to a rising sea level.

[Mid]

Soil eroded from one area usually builds up in another.

Such as the bottom of the sea floor.

And this phenomenon happening all over the world contributes to a rising sea level.

oh ,

how ??

[Ned]

The Andaman and Gulf become biological deserts. Thailand's coastal zones erode into the sea. Chemicals poison every watercourse. Okay, well and good. But when's the baht gonna drop in value!!? I've got a retirement visa to think of.

[lazeeboy]

The Andaman and Gulf become biological deserts. Thailand's coastal zones erode into the sea. Chemicals poison every watercourse. Okay, well and good. But when's the baht gonna drop in value!!? I've got a retirement visa to think of.

its ok samui is extending theres by 20metres a year,so thailand will be the whole world in 1 million years

[wintermute]

Maybe they can use all those discarded plastic 7-11 bags to assemble a giant flotation device for the future floating "bangkok" of 2050.