Thailand's Limited Water-capture Worsens Dry Season

[george]

Country's limited water-capture worsens dry season

BANGKOK: -- The El Nino weather phenomenon looks likely to delay the onset of the rains this year, but the Royal Irrigation Department says there is little it can do under present conditions to increase the amount of water captured in the country each year to get consumers and farmers through the dry months.

Director General Chalit Damrong-sak admitted that Thailand is in a difficult situation, primarily because of the limited national capacity to store rainwater for the dry season. Though rainfall volume has not changed much over recent years, demand for water is increasing, encouraged by attractive farm prices. Storage capacity has increased only slightly.

During the 2009 rainy season, rainfall amounted to 732,000 million cubic metres, which is 900 million cubic metres below the 2008 level. The more than 400 dams and dykes nationwide can hold up to 76,000 million. When the dry season began in November, they were left with 51,000 million cubic metres of water. However, as not all water could be released from the reservoirs, only 35,000 million is left for three purposes - consumption, ecological preservation and agricultural promotion. Right now, as farmers are ploughing their land for the second rice crop plantation, Thailand is left with only 27,500 million cubic metres of water, and the department is doing what it can to ensure that the supply is sufficient until the next rain comes.

"It is apparent that El Nino may delay the rain from May to July. Many crops that are normally grown then would have no water. That's why we told farmers not to start their second rice crop plantation," Chalit said. "They could take a risk, but we know we are barely capable of helping them."

Of the total water supply, 13,716 million cubic metres is reserved for agricultural plantation, against 5,539 million cubic metres for ecological preservation - including the release of water to diffuse pollution from industrial wastewater; 1,835 million cubic metres for consumption and 169 million cubic metres for industrial use. The agricultural sector tends to consume more water than it is allocated.

Chalit admitted farm prices are attractive, though, and farmers could take risks. It is estimated that the second crop plantation would span 9.5 million rai of land - 2 million rai of it outside of the irrigated area. He said that farmers in some northeastern provinces like Nakhon Ratchasima have agreed to stop their plans.

The situation would be better if Thailand could capture more water, he noted. But it has been difficult to implement irrigation plans as some watersheds are in forest areas while some locations are on private land. Meanwhile, some old wells are being ignored as more tapwater reaches villages. Rivers and canals have become shallower as road transportation is now more popular.

"The expansion rate has been slowing, against higher consumption rates," he said. "Yes, flooding is more frequent due to the absence of space to slow down the tide. But when the rain stops, we suffer from drought."

Moreover, due to the limited budget, which this year is Bt30 billion as part of the national budget and another Bt30 billion under the government's Thai Khemkhaeng stimulus budget, the department is being forced to channel the budget to the areas with least public resistance to its projects.

Chalit acknowledged that the stricter environmental rules could delay investment plans, as dykes and dams could be subjected to health impact assessments (HIAs). As such, though the irrigated areas cover 24 million rai, only 11.95 million is properly irrigated. He said end-users' attitudes must change. People in general should cut down consumption, while industrial plants must be more responsible in discharging wastewater. He hoped that the situation would improve slightly when a new law is passed to allow an increase in raw water prices.

"Now, as a short-term solution, we are asking for cooperation from farmers. Eventually, if that does not work, we may make an official announcement that in some areas, some crops cannot be planted."

-- The Nation 2010-02-08

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[Thailand]

Might be a help if people like my neighbour with his 3 rai of perfectly mown grass turns his sprinklers off occasionally, seem to be almost 247.

Probably enough for our whole Moo Baan for 1 day.

[givenall]

Might be a help if people like my neighbour with his 3 rai of perfectly mown grass turns his sprinklers off occasionally, seem to be almost 247.

Probably enough for our whole Moo Baan for 1 day.

My experience over here is that the problem is always someone else’s. So I don’t think your neighbor’s habit will change. It is the same wit my wife and her sister over here. I have a hard time to make them to conserve energy, water, etc. but they always recommend conversation to others

[astral]

The same goes for the golf courses.

[Meridian007]

Water shortages are becoming a more common phenomenon around the world. I've often wondered if coastal countries couldn't create some passive desalination system to reclaim water from the sea? I think there are a couple of countries that use active desalination to create some of their water, but that might be too expensive for most countries. There has to be some passive way to desalinate that can be used for large volumes of water.

[tammy]

Might be a help if people like my neighbour with his 3 rai of perfectly mown grass turns his sprinklers off occasionally, seem to be almost 247.

Probably enough for our whole Moo Baan for 1 day.

Just traveled most of south east Asia and there still washing vehicles as if nothing cared

[Ricardo]

Much of our own village's rice-paddy has remained unplanted, for the past few dry-season crops, including my sister-in-law's 8 rai which were being farmed under-contract. Only two of our own five fish-ponds were able to be used this wet-season, to raise tub-tim & catfish, also due to lack of water.

Meanwhile the golf-club upstream has a lot of very beautiful green turf, and the village headman enjoys his complimentary club-membership, but his villagers are suffering !

[db1tau]

They should just make the water more expensive instead of selling it out cheap till nothing is left.

Only a slight increase should be enough, since industry and farming are the ones who use big amounts of water and they will calculate again if wasting water is worth the money.

In the long term, authorities have to invest a lot of money in the toilet-to-tap technology, since it uses far less energy than desalination and is available everywhere, not only on the coastlines.

[Totster]

We've had heavy rain storms here for the last 3 nights, so water is not so short here.

Totster

[visions]

Solar desalinisation is available. Evaporisation and condesation is the process. There are many models available for boats. Relatively simple to increase the size for houshold use. Not feasable I think for commercial use. No moving parts, no manufactured energy required.

The water is perfectly clean...even straight from the toilet bowl!!

Maybe thats a good business for someone to set up???

[moskito]

Might be a help if people like my neighbour with his 3 rai of perfectly mown grass turns his sprinklers off occasionally, seem to be almost 247.

Probably enough for our whole Moo Baan for 1 day.

LOL, do we have the same neighbor? He loves his English gras so much that his sprinklers running constantly, Solution should be nice Malaysia gras but not for the English guys please

Groundwaterlevel in Phuket Nai Harn is deep already, what the gardeners dont waste the watertrucks steal for Kata and Karon.

All the natural small lakes, swamps and channels closed already to win new property for building houses

But ANYWAY, SAME THREAD YEAR AFTER YEAR, Dry Season no water, rainy season too much water..... Thais never learn.

Save water in water reservoirs in rain season and there is enough left for dry season, why is it sooooo difficult

SEE U NEXT YEAR

[philliphn]

Deepen and enlarge the water reserviors. Duh!

[Meridian007]

Solar desalination and toilet-to-tap technologies sound like good solutions. For farm usage, I wonder if cisterns would be a good idea? From my area in Southern Ontario, there are many Mennonites who farm, (an anti-technology religious group, like the Amish), and I think they use cisterns to supplement their water needs during the summer.

In Issan, how far does one have to dig before you hit limestone? If cisterns could be built, the extra water from the rainy season could be kept underground, and used for watering crops. It would need a lot of treatment for human consumption, but it could be used as-is on crops.

[Totster]

In Issan, how far does one have to dig before you hit limestone? If cisterns could be built, the extra water from the rainy season could be kept underground, and used for watering crops. It would need a lot of treatment for human consumption, but it could be used as-is on crops.

Not sure about limestone or whatever rock...but most wells here in my village are around 15m deep

totster

[OZEMADE]

In Issan, how far does one have to dig before you hit limestone? If cisterns could be built, the extra water from the rainy season could be kept underground, and used for watering crops. It would need a lot of treatment for human consumption, but it could be used as-is on crops.

Not sure about limestone or whatever rock...but most wells here in my village are around 15m deep

totster

Gee and they get free water in Chonburi or at least Pattaya, cant wait for SongCran to start all over Thailand.

[brahmburgers]

Songkran has been extended this year, so it essentially lasts 9 days. 5 week-days plus two weekends. That's 9 days of everyone in Thailand throwing as much water on sidewalks and streets as possible.

The OP had one sentence which mentioned something about how 'people should try to avoid wasting water.' I believe there was another mention about how farmers use more water than they need. Both true.

Being the person who pleads with the populace to conserve and/or use less water is a thankless task. It's rather like someone trying to impress on the Thai folks to only use such electric lights at night which are necessary - it just won't work.

As for drinking water recycled from bathroom waste - it's got no hope for Thailand, despite proofs which show it's workable. The concept is just too yukky for Thais to contemplate.

[MESmith]

As for drinking water recycled from bathroom waste - it's got no hope for Thailand, despite proofs which show it's workable. The concept is just too yukky for Thais to contemplate.

They don't seem to mind when it's in a brown bottle with a singha label