Severe Drought Continues Hitting Thailand

[webfact]

Severe drought continues hitting Thailand, reduces growing season

BANGKOK (TNA) -- Water levels at major dams in Thailand have declined sharply, especially in the northeastern region, due to an ongoing drought. Limited water supplies have led the government to urge farmers to grow rice only twice a year, rather than triple-cropping, according to an Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) executive.

EGAT Dam Director Kitti Tancharoen said the water levels in the North now stand at 32 per cent of total storage capacity, 62 per cent in the central region, 34 per cent in the Northeast and 62 per cent in the South.

Major retention facilities such as Bhumibol Dam in Tak province and Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit do not store much water now and water consumption would be sufficient for only 45 days if there is no rainfall, said Mr Kitti.

Because of the acute drought and shortage of water, farmers are urged to grow rice only twice a year while a working committee has been established to solve the problem, he said.

In the northeastern region, EGAT has helped the people by distributing an average of 3.5 million litres for each area to help cushion the hardship of people, said Mr Kitti.

Songyot Jerdnapaphan, director of EGAT’s hydropower plants for the northeastern region, said the water level in Ubol Ratana Dam, about 50 km northwest of Khon Kaen, now contains only 24 million cubic metres or one per cent of its total capacity while about 300,000 cubic metres of water from the dam must be released daily.

If there is no rainfall during this period, people will suffer tremendously, Mr Songyot added. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-06-26

[chainarong]

Coming from a waterless country , the only way is up ,increase charges for water, stop waste, improve storage, importantly, education, in years to come with climate change, Thailand might not be so lucky, crops will tend to change with time, the whole way of life will change in a dryer climate, I will be six foot under by the time all this happens , but Thailand needs to plan for the future, gee then I woke up.

[sharking]

i cant grow one rice yet,its realy dry here in korat

[jaideeguy]

Still no substantial rains up north. Main CM resivoir is down to 30%. We get a few clouds, but no heavy rains. Big cracks in the soil and on roads are evidence of the surface grounds shrinking from the drout.

[alant]

it will be interesting to see just what happens to this years rice crop in terms of export figures (and other exported agricultural products). it is to be hoped that this is a one off year of low water fall and things will return to normal leaving inflation demands for increased wages the main economic problems.

[gotlost]

i cant grow one rice yet,its realy dry here in korat

I'm over in Kap Choeng and I know how you fell. Everybody is thinking next month. The only reason we got the nursery rice going is water from our ponds. Wish you well.

[Ned]

Suddenly..... Hey we're running out of water!

[gotlost]

Chiang Mai YTD 198 mm should be at 365 mm.

Surin YTD 431 mm should be at 481 mm.

www.tmd.go.th/en

[Extraterrestrial]

Coming from a waterless country , the only way is up ,increase charges for water, stop waste, improve storage, importantly, education, in years to come with climate change, Thailand might not be so lucky, crops will tend to change with time, the whole way of life will change in a dryer climate, I will be six foot under by the time all this happens , but Thailand needs to plan for the future, gee then I woke up.

The main issue is a shift in normal patterns of rainfall/weather, directly related to global warming and associated climate change.

This "shift" which is happening now on a small scale may cause drought or increased rainfall. It is very difficult to predict as can be expected.

Some say "build more dams and deep water reservoirs."

But if the "shift" happens, the dam might be built in the wrong place (in a dry area that was formerly wet).

This is a difficult issue to find a solution to.

It seems that since the problem is global, the solution must be global.

That solution involves reducing population, developing sustainable economic systems, changing destructive inner thoughts that are causing humans to make extremely bad decisions about population and economics, and the insane (suicidal) use of an extremely primitive energy system that is moving the planet closer to a Venus model.

And, yes, this is on topic because Thailand is on planet earth. But, unfortunately, some people seem to think global issues have nothing to do with Thailand. Why? I have no idea.

I stopped trying to figure out what is wrong with human grey matter a long time ago.

[Thai at Heart]

1961 Thailand 10mn tonnes of rice produced

2005 Thailnad 30mn tonnes of rice produced

1961 6mn hectares used

2005 10mn hectares used.

http://beta.irri.org/solutions/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=250

There is no need to work out whether the world got hotter or colder. The farmers grew more and the population went up, but the rainfall stayed the same.

How could you intend to increase required amount of land and water by 80% over a 40 year period and not expect to "run out" of either eventually?

[RickBradford]

JR! Welcome back! Nice ET avatar..........

According to Thai climate scientist Suppakorn Chinvanno, Thailand's rainfall remained steady at 1600mm since 1951 to 2006, while demands on that water have multiplied many times.

Edited June 27, 2010 by RickBradford

[Extraterrestrial]

Suddenly..... Hey we're running out of water!

Actually, the warnings about water shortages surfaced over three decades ago (something you likely know).

Thailand did act, but the actions were not sufficient. And the problem is a global problem--certainly regional.

In the short term one has to consider the impact of the drought on the "rural Reds."

Poverty often generates anger, but not always, just often.

[teletiger]

I believe the drought was forecast this year due to the El Nino event. The new forecast is for the El Nino to finish early this year (as we speak) and the Indian monsoons will be heavier than average this year. This normally means rain for Thailand, August onwards. We'll see.

'And that is the end of this years weather forecast.

Regards.

[rreddin]

Suddenly..... Hey we're running out of water!

Actually, the warnings about water shortages surfaced over three decades ago (something you likely know).

Thailand did act, but the actions were not sufficient. And the problem is a global problem--certainly regional.

In the short term one has to consider the impact of the drought on the "rural Reds."

Poverty often generates anger, but not always, just often.

This severity of this drought was forecast during the UDD protests in Bangkok. I recall posting at the time that, in my neck of Issaan, the farmers can only grow one crop of rice a year. Those farmers are dependent on bank loans to finance their business. The outflow from the Bhumibol Dam in Tak province is used primarily to irrigate agricultural land in the central region where, beause of that irrigation, two crops a year are possible and to stop salt water incursion onto agricultural land near Bangkok. It provides only 2% of the country's electricity supply (compared to three quarters when it was built).

I commented that if the economics of rice growing in the central region are similar to those in my part of the country, there could be a lot of farmers facing severe financial hardship if they lose their second crop, which would be a major problem for whoever was in government at the time. Add to that the loss of agricultural land by sea water incursion and there is another group of farmers on Bangkok's doorstep facing ruin.

My point then, as now, is that the government of the day will be blamed for previous failings to provide an adequate and reliable water supply for agriculture. The effects of the drought on the farmers' livelihoods might be the unexpected catalyst that starts a new and different set of protests that also involves rural folk from the central and southern regions.

The very short-term solution is to compensate those farmers who lose their crop. The longer-term solution might be a step too far for any government of the Kingdom to take.

[LaoPo]

"According to Chris Burt, author of Extreme Weather, the 47°C (116.6°F) measured on May 12 this year is the hottest temperature measured in Southeast Asia (Burma/Myanmar; LP) in recorded history."

BUT..........................

"The mercury hit an astonishing 53.5°C (128.3°F) at MohenjuDaro, Pakistan, on May 26. Not only is the 128.3°F reading the hottest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan, it is the hottest reliably measured temperature ever recorded on the continent of Asia"

from: Climate Change - Wunderground

http://www.wunderground.com/climate/

still...some claim there's nothing wrong with the climate in the world

LaoPo

[webfact]

DROUGHT

Water shortage to take toll on output

By Sorrasak Tubtimprai

Mayuree Aukkalaban

Prasit Tungprasert

The Nation

This year's prolonged drought has badly hurt farmers, who face increased production costs and lower yields, and are likely to see the effects in next year's crops as well.

Farmers have not been able to harvest their crops as usual, as lack of rain has disrupted their usual farming cycles. Rice farmers have been advised to grow their main crops in the middle of July. In addition, a drought brought on by the El Nino weather phenomenon has seen some fruit crops to decline or be delayed.

So far, the drought has hit 53 provinces, mainly in the North. About 6.4 million farmers are suffering from water shortage. As a result, officials are revising downward the Kingdom's projected total farm output.

While farmers are suffering, the drought has created an opportunity for some businesses involved in alternative water supplies in the Kingdom, the world's biggest rice exporting nation, where rice is farmed throughout the year and demand for water is high.

Businessmen in Lop Buri have invested in water pumps to sell to farmers, who must now buy water to keep their plantations alive.

Many farmers have entered into agreements to supply rice in return for water.

Niwat Chom-ngam, 54, a farmer in Lop Buri, said farmers' costs include Bt400-Bt500 per rai for combined harvests and water costs of Bt400 per rai.

"Costs have increased from Bt3,000 per rai last year to Bt5,000 this year, while the paddy price has increased only slightly," said Niwat, adding that the paddy price is quoted at Bt7,000 per tonne.

Choocheep Uthago, head of the agricultural office of Baan Mhee, Lop Buri, said all the water pumps along the local irrigation channels belong to local businessmen, and are now working 24 hours a day.

"Farmers whose land is far from the irrigation channel have seen costs increase from Bt400 per rai to Bt900," he said.

Nopporn Chaipichit, director of the irrigation office in Lop Buri, said the province had capacity to supply rice fields totalling 937,730 rai, but farmers had planted 1.5 million rais.

Farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima face a severe water shortage, as the water in Lam Ta Klong Dam had dropped to its lowest-ever level, with remaining water of 94 million cubic metres from a total capacity of 324 million cubic metres. Consequently, officials have stopped distributing water for agricultural purposes.

Samarn Tadtheing, head of a farmers group at Nam Kuang in Lumpun province, said there was only 35 million cubic metres of water left in the Mae Guang Dam. Officials have warned farmers to delay their main rice crops from late June to mid-July or early August to ensure water supply from rainfall. Second-crop rice production in the area around the dam has fallen by 30 per cent, Samarn said.

Pramote Gongthong, president of the Northeastern Tapioca Trade Association, said the drought had seriously affected the whole tapioca production system. Total production of cassava (the root from which tapioca is derived) is forecast to drop to 15 million tonnes, compared with normal annual output of 27 million tonnes, he said.

"It is predicted that this year Thailand will face its most serious cassava shortage in 40 years," Pramote said.

The projected drop in supply has pushed the cassava price up to Bt3 per kilogram. However, tapioca flour manufacturers have not been able to secure smooth supply of cassava, with many becoming reluctant to buy at all due to the high price of the raw material.

"The problem has created a vicious cycle, as [tapioca] manufacturers do not have supply of raw materials to ensure smooth processing, which creates a shortage of working capital with which to buy cassava from farmers," he said, estimating the loss to the industry at Bt50 billion this year.

-- The Nation 2010-06-28

[Extraterrestrial]

"According to Chris Burt, author of Extreme Weather, the 47°C (116.6°F) measured on May 12 this year is the hottest temperature measured in Southeast Asia (Burma/Myanmar; LP) in recorded history."

BUT..........................

"The mercury hit an astonishing 53.5°C (128.3°F) at MohenjuDaro, Pakistan, on May 26. Not only is the 128.3°F reading the hottest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan, it is the hottest reliably measured temperature ever recorded on the continent of Asia"

from: Climate Change - Wunderground

http://www.wunderground.com/climate/

still...some claim there's nothing wrong with the climate in the world

LaoPo

It is astonishing that a few people who know nothing about science make that claim.

They actually think they are right and 99.9% of the scientists on the planet who study the problem are wrong.

The number of extreme weather events have increased substantially over the past decade (nobody is making that up). And they seem to be getting more severe.

Thailand, like all other countries, is suffering the consequences of "crazy human thinking, decision-making, and behavior."

I would add, "ignorance of basic science." A lot more attention should be paid to teaching science instead of religion (no offense).

I suppose Thais will have to find more ways to capture water and use it more efficiently, but in the long run it is difficult to say what will happen exactly and where.

No doubt the human species (that includes Thais) is going to see "water wars." Already there is a lot of verbal conflict regarding dams on the Mekong.

And, as one poster said, if the farmers get poorer because of climate change (and this is not a short term event; it is part of a long term cycle of change), social problems will increase in Thailand.

This has economic and political implications.

[animatic]

Mis-management of water resources over the 30 years is caused by the El Nitwit effect.

Someone thinks someone else will deal with it.

[Extraterrestrial]

Mis-management of water resources over the 30 years is caused by the El Nitwit effect.

Someone thinks someone else will deal with it.

That one was funny......................how true: "El Nitwit effect."

There is a reason that the "skeptics" want to focus on short term events (El Nino) instead of a long term trend: one involves short term weather; the other involves long term climate change.

The real challenge is long term, not short term. Short term weather events come and go.

Long term climate change events do not (at least not easily and sometimes never................see Venus for a case study).

A major problem is that people "think somebody else will deal with it."

Irresponsible behavior can only sustain itself for a fixed time period. Eventually, you have to "pay the piper."

Thailand has had decades to fix the problem. Not enough was done. The "piper is about to be paid."

Of course, Thailand is not alone in this regard.

The good news is that some humans are waking up to reality: fresh water is not to be taken for granted.

[plachon]

Chiang Mai YTD 198 mm should be at 365 mm.

Surin YTD 431 mm should be at 481 mm.

www.tmd.go.th/en

Hi Gotlost,

On the TMD website I can see where the Year to Date rainfall is located, but I cannot see where normal average rainfall for the year by province is recorded. Or are you obtaining this from another website, in which case, I would be glad to know which.

Khon Kaen is recorded as having received 403.4 mm rainfall to date this year, against Chiang Mai's measly 198.2 mm. It feels and looks dry here compared to normal for June, but it must be really dire up in Chiang Mai, where they all think Isaan is some kind of desert!

Cheers,

plachon

[BSJ]

It's time for the government to start building desalination plants along the coastline. If the sea levels are rising taking water out of the sea to turn into potable water will not matter.

[gotlost]

It's time for the government to start building desalination plants along the coastline. If the sea levels are rising taking water out of the sea to turn into potable water will not matter.

This is a no brainier but you have to have brains to see this.

[dumball]

When I was in transit for the Suez crisis , they were doing just that on the island of Malta , fresh water there was a very scarce resourse , might be a tad cost prohibitive , but still a thought .

[kokesaat]

310mm rain total for the year to date just outside of Udon. We had that much rain in May 2009 alone! I've yet to see a single rice farm with enough water for transplanting young rice (most fields are still very dry). The reservoir serving Udon looks very low.......does anyone know if the government posts info on reservoir levels?

[Extraterrestrial]

When I was in transit for the Suez crisis , they were doing just that on the island of Malta , fresh water there was a very scarce resourse , might be a tad cost prohibitive , but still a thought .

This is something that can be done, but, as you said, it is most likely "cost prohibitive" in Thailand.

[billd766]

It's time for the government to start building desalination plants along the coastline. If the sea levels are rising taking water out of the sea to turn into potable water will not matter.

The problem I can see in that is how much will it cost in pipelines and pumping stations just to pump the water up country?

For example where I live is 380km from BKK and an altitude of 150 metres above sea level.

Isan is perhaps 200km at the closest up to 600km or so to the farthest.

The cost would be prohibitive though it is a good idea.

Edited June 30, 2010 by billd766

[hydrostatic]

Desalination is the answer for long and short term. So is pressure recycling. Get the services of a decent hydrostatic engineer.

[Globalhot]

Desalination is the answer for long and short term. So is pressure recycling. Get the services of a decent hydrostatic engineer.

But if it is very expensive, how can Thailand afford it?

And what about the cost of sending it from the ocean to northern Thailand?

Pressure recycling? What is that?

[hydrostatic]

The cost is not prohibitive in the long term when considering the cost to the countries industry, farming, etc, if you don't do it. Pushing water up to 150metres is not a problem. I know the local system is to use a closed line supply that just comes to a dead end. If you're at the end of the line you will get very little flow or pressure, especially if everybody in the line is using the water at the same time. Certainly not enough to even provide for an electric shower. However, if they were to use a ring main around each area or tumbon, pressure and flow would not be a problem.

Pressure recycling is very simply recycling the used water, the same as they do in most major cities like London and New York, using pumps and reverse osmosis to clean the water. For you none engineers out there, pressure is generated by a resistance to the flow and not by the pumps themselves.

[ozzydom]

Here , in the N/E our reticulated water was turned off 2 months ago, since then we have been paying 150 baht per 2000 litre tank for drinking quality water from the only sanctioned and tested well in the area .

Sawang Daen Din has 3 hours per day reticulated service at very low pressure.

Many local farmers tilled their paddies and planted seed rice 3 weeks ago after an overnight downpour ,but now paddies have dried out and seed rice germinated and died.

We are battling to keep the fish in our farm alive with little water in our local klong to replenish evaporation losses.

Its tough all round.