Private sector concerned El Nino may impact availability of water for agriculture and industry

[webfact]

 

by Namo Vananupong

BANGKOK (NNT) - Increased tourist numbers have allowed the Thai economy to recover to a greater extent. However, the private sector remains worried about elevated production costs and the electricity price.

 

Most recently, concerns have surfaced about droughts occurring and impacting the amount of water available for agriculture and industry.

 

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking (JSCCIB) Chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul revealed the body is preparing a letter about a potential drought situation addressed to Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha.

 

The letter will request the premier to order relevant agencies to produce an urgent-phase drought mitigation plan, as well as a 3-year plan and a long-term plan.

 

This is due to industry leaders’ concerns about potential droughts that could result from the El Nino phenomenon, which could start in July this year.

 

The phenomenon could reduce the amount of water in Thailand’s Eastern Region, thus impacting agriculture and industry.

 

Mr. Kriengkrai said if preparations are not made in time, a drought would further heighten production costs for businesses while prices of agricultural and food products will rise further.

 

The JSCCIB chairman also spoke of the overall picture of the economy this year, saying there is a tendency for a continual recovery because of the tourism sector’s performance.

 

He said foreign tourist arrivals have the potential to reach 30 million persons, which would exceed previous projections. Meanwhile, exports are now expected to return to expansion in the latter half of the year despite a projected contraction in the first half.

 

The JSCCIB is maintaining its 2023 GDP growth projection at the 3-3.5% range while expecting the growth of the export value to come in at minus one to zero percent and inflation to be in the range of 2.7-3.2% in 2023.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230504085727849

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-05-04

 

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[ThailandRyan]

What's starting to affect our water supply down here in HH/PKK is the new houses being developed, as water is moved to new storage facilities to feed these new locations.  I have been watching as new large blue water pipes and klongs are being added into the infrastructure.  Two weeks ago in our location many of the homes had the water tanks run low as no new water was being pumped in due to a rupture in the main line where the property developers were cutting into the piping to place a T.  Took them 2 days to repair it as water just continued to flow out of the main pipe unabated.

[ikke1959]

water management in Thailand?????/55555555555

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Most recently, concerns have surfaced about droughts occurring and impacting the amount of water available for agriculture and industry.

Build infrastructure to catch what falls out of the sky during the rainy season and use it when it doesn't.

[billd766]

The infrastructure is there. The rain however is not.

[dinsdale]

5 hours ago, billd766 said:

The infrastructure is there. The rain however is not.

Not yet but that's because it's still the hot season. We'll have to wait and see how much wet we get when the season arrives. 

[zzaa09]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Build infrastructure to catch what falls out of the sky during the rainy season and use it when it doesn't.

Yep.

Old school practices.......which are not in evident today. 

[billd766]

47 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Not yet but that's because it's still the hot season. We'll have to wait and see how much wet we get when the season arrives. 

I live next to the Mae Wong national park in Kamphaeng Phet.

 

Today there was thunder and lightning as there has been for the past 2 days but as usual, no rain locally.

 

The klong is dry with some holes with water in, but not many.