Thai Cabinet Approves Bt6Bn For Tsunami Master Plan

[george]

Cabinet approves Bt6bn for tsunami master plan

BANGKOK: -- Cabinet Tuesday approved a Bt6billion budget for a tsunami management master plan, dispersed through a tied-over budget allocation during the next three years.

The first Bt2.019 billion would be allocated from next year's budget while the remainder from budgets in the following two years. The request was made by the National Disaster Warning System Commission.

The master plan involves 81 government agencies and four minor plans: preventive measures and reduction of flood effects; pre-flooding measures; management of emergency relief assistance; and post-flooding restoration.

-- The Nation 2010-11-02

[Soutpeel]

Putting a new battery in the Tsunami detector would be a good start....

[RickBradford]

How many damaging tsunamis has Thailand suffered in the last 100 years, for example?

Depending on the answer, can Thailand really not find a better use for $200 million at this point in time?

[hmj]

Putting a new battery in the Tsunami detector would be a good start....

I love "boer" logic.

[eljeque]

They should do something about the flooding (some of which is preventable) which causes great damage to large areas of the country year after year rather than giving money to agencies to put into their leaders' pockets to "prepare" for a disaster that is not likely to happen in their lifetimes, plus anything they do will simply be washed away by any tsunami of significance. And a tsunami damages only a small area of the country...

Flooding occurs in the low parts of the country, very easy to know where flooding will occur, and to make preparations for it, not entirley mitigate its effects, but reduce them. But the only thing we know about where a tsunami will strike is on the shoreline, but where on the shore? who *&^%$# knows?

Look at the giant areas which are damaged by the floods; give them a helping hand.

Edited November 2, 2010 by eljeque

[phiphidon]

They should do something about the flooding (some of which is preventable) which causes great damage to large areas of the country year after year rather than giving money to agencies to put into their leaders' pockets to "prepare" for a disaster that is not likely to happen in their lifetimes, plus anything they do will simply be washed away by any tsunami of significance. And a tsunami damages only a small area of the country...

Flooding occurs in the low parts of the country, very easy to know where flooding will occur, and to make preparations for it, not entirley mitigate its effects, but reduce them. But the only thing we know about where a tsunami will strike is on the shoreline, but where on the shore? who *&^%$# knows?

Look at the giant areas which are damaged by the floods; give them a helping hand.

Only a small area of the country affected by a tsunami? The 2004 tsunami caused approximately 8000 deaths and 3000 plus missing/unaccounted for. A little bit insensitive I feel. Tsunami warning devices can, and will make a difference. OK, not when the epicentre is close to shore but further out yes. The death toll on Koh Phi Phi (and other places) could have been a lot less if a warning system was in place at the time, likewise, India etc. Floods are certainly more predictable and the timescales involved are far less critical.

[eljeque]

"Only a small area of the country affected by a tsunami? The 2004 tsunami caused approximately 8000 deaths and 3000 plus missing/unaccounted for. A little bit insensitive I feel."

I do not mean to appear insensitive to the deaths and sufferings of the many thousands who were affected by the tsunami of 2004.

And, this was the tsunami of a century or longer, affected only the south-eastern coast and some islnds, and all-in-all, versus the damage that is caused by floods each and every year over a large portion of the country, for a century, tsunami damage is relatively small versus flood damage when looked at over a long time period.

Edited November 3, 2010 by eljeque

[whybother]

"Only a small area of the country affected by a tsunami? The 2004 tsunami caused approximately 8000 deaths and 3000 plus missing/unaccounted for. A little bit insensitive I feel."

I do not mean to appear insensitive to the deaths and sufferings of the many thousands who were affected by the tsunami of 2004.

And, this was the tsunami of a century or longer, affected only the south-eastern coast and some islnds, and all-in-all, versus the damage that is caused by floods each and every year over a large portion of the country, for a century, tsunami damage is relatively small versus flood damage when looked at over a long time period.

The floods in Thailand this year have so far killed 100-150. On average, floods in Thailand kill less than 50 people each year, so in a hundred years that's 5000 people.

A bit of money spent to save 10-15000 people isn't a bad move.

[rubl]

In my probably misplaced simplicity and ignorance I thought that after the December 2004 disaster lots of money was spent already on 'master' plans, 'minor' plans and 'local' plans.

Now I do understand the need to regularly review those plans and update them. That's normal. The environment changes, people build at improper places, etc., etc.

To throw another THB 6 billion on a tsunami management master plan ? Maybe a first step is to document what has been done till now and how much that has cost? We wouldn't like to repeat mistakes, now would we ?

Edited November 3, 2010 by rubl

[phiphidon]

In my probably misplaced simplicity and ignorance I thought that after the December 2004 disaster lots of money was spent already on 'master' plans, 'minor' plans and 'local' plans.

Now I do understand the need to regularly review those plans and update them. That's normal. The environment changes, people build at improper places, etc., etc.

To throw another THB 6 billion on a tsunami management master plan ? Maybe a first step is to document what has been done till now and how much that has cost? We wouldn't like to repeat mistakes, now would we ?

After reading several of the comments about a tsunami management master plan, it did seem peculiar so I re-read the Nation article. With a bit of digging I found out that the NDWC was set up after the tsunami, but is an early warning system to protect against all forms of natural disasters nationwide, including tsunamis. It comprises, amongst other things, watch towers, sensors, media communication links, text message facilities etc. So, when the article then goes on;

"The request was made by the National Disaster Warning System Commission.

The master plan involves 81 government agencies and four minor plans: preventive measures andreduction of flood effects; pre-flooding measures; management of emergency relief assistance; and post-flooding restoration"

it starts to make sense. If I'm reading it right, it looks like the request for money by the NDWC is for the recent flooding events and not for the tsunami warning system as reported by the misleading headline. The Nation strikes again.

[phaethon]

"Tsunami Master Plan"

Imagine my disappointment to find this wasn't about a Thai Bond-villain-style plot to eliminate India...