Although the rainy season has begun in Thailand, the threat of prolonged drought and water shortages is hovering on the horizon because of El Nino.

 

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors sea temperatures at over 200 locations, forecasts that El Nino – a change in the weather system that increases global temperatures – will drag on from now until at least February next year.

 

Coupled with global warming, El Nino means Thailand must prepare for a longer dry season, more frequent hot days, and drought. Hardest hit will be Thailand’s East and South.

 

Worst scenario: Double El Nino

 

Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries, confirms that El Nino has already arrived.

 

On Facebook he explained that the rainy season in Thailand’s North, Northeast and Central regions usually has two phases. “This year, the first phase has already ended and rainfall was 20% lower than normal,” he said.

 

With the latter phase due to start around the middle of August, it remains unclear how much water the country will be able to store for the coming dry season.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/el-nino-will-expose-thailands-lack-of-defense-against-climate-change-experts/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-11

 

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As usual in Thailand.. too late with everything.. rising sea levels and threatening Bangkok to flood.. every year floods in the country without preventing or take long term measures, airpollution, covid vaccinations etc etc Hopefully with a decent Government as MFP things will change for better as they have a long term vision, but the dinosaurs will hold them back as much as possible 

Edited July 11, 20233 yr by ikke1959

The farmers will plant rice as usual, go to the temple and pray for rain.

And when that doesn't work ask for subsidies.

Don't be too hard on the Thais, the climate here is much more prone to extremes than, say, the UK, yet the English water companies seem incapable of storing enough rain, or processing effluent adequately to prevent raw sewage from entering the rivers and ending upon the beaches. Plus they allow, even encourage, building new homes on flood plains with the predictable results. I'd say that for a relatively poor country which, every rainy season, has to manage the delicate balance between storing too much water and causing floods, or not storing enough to avoid flooding but then causing a drought if the rains aren't heavy enough, Thailand actually does a reasonably good job. One thing I don't understand is that so many of their reservoirs are simply natural depressions or hollows that they block off with a small dam, yet because of their limited depth they hold relatively small volumes of water. Lake Mabprachan in Pattaya is a good example, why didn't they originally excavate it, say, another 50 ft or more in depth and thereby double or triple its storage capacity? And it's the same thing in many areas, just flood a minor hollow in the ground, never bother deepening it first.

I remember what happened the last time the Democrat Party was in government in 2011 and told the water authorities not to release dam water. This was just before Yingluck took over. Maybe a coincidence.

Now the junta is leaving office just as a new government enters office. 

Aren't these cycles of 7 years or so? All this Blaming climate change something the sun controls and the earths orbit. All this alarmist rhetoric enriches a few and has been going on since the 1940's with every prediction failing to materialise.  Those screaming the most are making the most and quite a few own beach front property worth multi millions  of dollars so obviously not bothered.  People used to laugh at the crazies with their billboards "The World is Ending"! Just ask yourself one question "can you get a 20 or 40 year mortgage in London, Holland, Miami or infact any costal area of the world? The answer is Yes!

Not again. Climate rant.

55 minutes ago, Guderian said:

One thing I don't understand is that so many of their reservoirs are simply natural depressions or hollows that they block off with a small dam, yet because of their limited depth they hold relatively small volumes of water. Lake Mabprachan in Pattaya is a good example, why didn't they originally excavate it, say, another 50 ft or more in depth and thereby double or triple its storage capacity? And it's the same thing in many areas, just flood a minor hollow in the ground, never bother deepening it first.

Cheap 'n nasty is the norm in LOS.

 

To do what you sensibly suggest would involve (1) detailed long-term planning, which doesn't come naturally to anyone here (2) scarce management, excavating & labouring skills (3) far more funding, in a country where some 1/3 of government funds is regularly siphoned off by the decisionmakers, bureaucrats & contractors ...

The Government have spent God knows how many Billions of Baht on Concrete Beltways that zig-zag across the Country to move their Military Hardware around faster in case of Invasion.

Meanwhile, Millions of people have no access to clean Water or have Sanitation in their Homes, and kids go hungry

It is a Military Government after all,and nothing else is to be expected

1 hour ago, BritScot said:

Aren't these cycles of 7 years or so? All this Blaming climate change something the sun controls and the earths orbit. All this alarmist rhetoric enriches a few and has been going on since the 1940's with every prediction failing to materialise.  Those screaming the most are making the most and quite a few own beach front property worth multi millions  of dollars so obviously not bothered.  People used to laugh at the crazies with their billboards "The World is Ending"! Just ask yourself one question "can you get a 20 or 40 year mortgage in London, Holland, Miami or infact any costal area of the world? The answer is Yes!

So true BritScot, the crazies will use any calamity to proselytize their idea that the sky is falling with global warming. But yet they continue to consume mass quantities of power generated by fossil fuel. It is absurd to think that man can change earth' climate.

1 hour ago, BritScot said:

Aren't these cycles of 7 years or so? All this Blaming climate change something the sun controls and the earths orbit. All this alarmist rhetoric enriches a few and has been going on since the 1940's with every prediction failing to materialise.  Those screaming the most are making the most and quite a few own beach front property worth multi millions  of dollars so obviously not bothered.  People used to laugh at the crazies with their billboards "The World is Ending"! Just ask yourself one question "can you get a 20 or 40 year mortgage in London, Holland, Miami or infact any costal area of the world? The answer is Yes!

London is coastal? I lived there for 32 years and it definitely wasn't on the coast.

10 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

So true BritScot, the crazies will use any calamity to proselytize their idea that the sky is falling with global warming. But yet they continue to consume mass quantities of power generated by fossil fuel. It is absurd to think that man can change earth' climate.

"It is absurd to think that man can change earth' climate."

 

Not true, man has already changed earths climate for the worse, its trying to reverse that now

1 hour ago, BritScot said:

Aren't these cycles of 7 years or so? All this Blaming climate change something the sun controls and the earths orbit. All this alarmist rhetoric enriches a few and has been going on since the 1940's with every prediction failing to materialise.  Those screaming the most are making the most and quite a few own beach front property worth multi millions  of dollars so obviously not bothered.  People used to laugh at the crazies with their billboards "The World is Ending"! Just ask yourself one question "can you get a 20 or 40 year mortgage in London, Holland, Miami or infact any costal area of the world? The answer is Yes!

That always happens....before it was the gods, we burned witches  or slaughtered virgins. Now we cut our food and energy supply

The last line of defense was Prayut ordering it gone but the people have now ordered him gone so god only knows ????

Meanwhile Thailand is not capable to minimize global warming:

"On the first day of March, the TNAC was granted permission from the Royal Forest Department (RFD) to make use of approximately 3,700 rai of forest land situated in Tambon Sakhoo."

1 hour ago, Keep Right said:

So true BritScot, the crazies will use any calamity to proselytize their idea that the sky is falling with global warming. But yet they continue to consume mass quantities of power generated by fossil fuel. It is absurd to think that man can change earth' climate.

They’re not trying to change earths climate, they’re trying to change the minds of earths humans and unfortunately it seems to be working.

Thailand rainfall down this year but look at India and the New England on the east coast of America with extreme flooding . Also Spain is hit by rain and hail storms . The west coast of the U.S.A. has record temperatures . The UK had its hottest ever June with hose pipe bans already in some areas . Thailand should be more adept at retaining water because of its hot climate . 

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The farmers will plant rice as usual, go to the temple and pray for rain.

And when that doesn't work ask for subsidies.

My wifes family have done that every year.   I've never seen them actually harvest anything. 

 

Nothing else to do in Issan. 

 

 

 

 

El Nino is affecting a lot of the world, and it is not man made.

I bet the climate alarmists  are upset about that fact.

Climate change is happening, and I think the Earth is warming itself

up.

My opinion and I am sticking with it.

13 hours ago, Guderian said:

Don't be too hard on the Thais, the climate here is much more prone to extremes than, say, the UK, yet the English water companies seem incapable of storing enough rain, or processing effluent adequately to prevent raw sewage from entering the rivers and ending upon the beaches. Plus they allow, even encourage, building new homes on flood plains with the predictable results. I'd say that for a relatively poor country which, every rainy season, has to manage the delicate balance between storing too much water and causing floods, or not storing enough to avoid flooding but then causing a drought if the rains aren't heavy enough, Thailand actually does a reasonably good job. One thing I don't understand is that so many of their reservoirs are simply natural depressions or hollows that they block off with a small dam, yet because of their limited depth they hold relatively small volumes of water. Lake Mabprachan in Pattaya is a good example, why didn't they originally excavate it, say, another 50 ft or more in depth and thereby double or triple its storage capacity? And it's the same thing in many areas, just flood a minor hollow in the ground, never bother deepening it first.

often if you did deeper the ground you break through the hard pan and no longer holds water...

12 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

El Nino is affecting a lot of the world, and it is not man made.

I bet the climate alarmists  are upset about that fact.

Climate change is happening, and I think the Earth is warming itself

up.

My opinion and I am sticking with it.

The " Climate change lobby " are receiving backing from many governments ( not all ) on carbon dioxide emissions and hence the focus on electric vehicles and solar energy . The skeptics , with conspiracy views  , must be running out of arguments .   Year on year there seems to be chronic weather events . The increasing global population may also be a factor as demands for human needs multiply energy output .

Weather wise , the UK seems to be breaking weather records every year . E.G . this June was the hottest on record .

59 minutes ago, superal said:

The " Climate change lobby " are receiving backing from many governments ( not all ) on carbon dioxide emissions and hence the focus on electric vehicles and solar energy . The skeptics , with conspiracy views  , must be running out of arguments .   Year on year there seems to be chronic weather events . The increasing global population may also be a factor as demands for human needs multiply energy output .

Weather wise , the UK seems to be breaking weather records every year . E.G . this June was the hottest on record .

And still not as warm as during the Roman Empire...

8 hours ago, h90 said:

And still not as warm as during the Roman Empire...

Really ? please enlighten me 

On 7/11/2023 at 3:55 PM, mrfill said:

London is coastal? I lived there for 32 years and it definitely wasn't on the coast.

Technically coastal is within reach of the tide so as the River Thames is tidal as far up as Teddington London could be said to be coastal.

Edited July 12, 20233 yr by edwinchester

On 7/11/2023 at 2:57 PM, mfd101 said:

Cheap 'n nasty is the norm in LOS.

 

To do what you sensibly suggest would involve (1) detailed long-term planning, which doesn't come naturally to anyone here (2) scarce management, excavating & labouring skills (3) far more funding, in a country where some 1/3 of government funds is regularly siphoned off by the decisionmakers, bureaucrats & contractors ...

No need to worry, HTMS Chakri Naruebet will protect us. I saw it in a dream.

11 hours ago, edwinchester said:

Technically coastal is within reach of the tide so as the River Thames is tidal as far up as Teddington London could be said to be coastal.

On that technicality then Ayutthaya is on the coast

57 minutes ago, mrfill said:

On that technicality then Ayutthaya is on the coast

If you stick with the strict definition yes it is.

21 hours ago, h90 said:

And still not as warm as during the Roman Empire...

Perhaps this weekend it will be, there is a hot weather forecast for Southern Europe. 

 

7 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Perhaps this weekend it will be, there is a hot weather forecast for Southern Europe. 

 

Yes.....middle Europe 37 degree....But we had that before as well. But I also remember in my youth we had some years cool summer and were angry about it....I can't recall any cool summer the last few years

1 hour ago, h90 said:

Yes.....middle Europe 37 degree....But we had that before as well. But I also remember in my youth we had some years cool summer and were angry about it....I can't recall any cool summer the last few years

southern Europe this weekend is forecast into the high 40s . Parts of Greece already upper 40s and summer just starting