No Forethought In Mitigating Effects Of Extreme Weather: Thai Opinion

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

No forethought in mitigating effects of extreme weather

By The Nation

The authorities have been caught unprepared yet again as floods ravage the country; it's time for long-term contingency planning

The recent floods serve as another warning that Thailand should be better prepared for natural disasters. The heavy deluges that swept across the country over the weekend caught many off guard, especially the relevant government agencies, which seemed to be unprepared to deal with the sudden natural disaster, which has had a severe impact on tens of thousands of people.

The heavy rain that affected the country over the weekend has caused severe flooding in many areas and led to massive evacuations in a number of provinces. The heavy downpours in Pattaya province caused waist-high flooding. The resort of Pattaya itself was also affected by heavy rain. Massive evacuations were also ordered in Krabi and neighbouring provinces in the South.

So far, the flood-related death toll has risen to more than 80, and the figure is rising. Sudden mudslides have added to the problems and caused additional anguish to the victims. A young lady in Uttaradit province said on TV that she was considering suicide after she saw her mother and her hard-earned, newly built house swept away by a huge mudslide. Another victim who lived nearby said that she was traumatised and decided to move away because she was too scared to return to her old neighbourhood.

The latest floods have already adversely affected 16 provinces. It is expected that heavy rain and the likelihood of flash flooding could affect 32 provinces by the end of this week.

Thousands of people have been affected, especially those in the farming sector. More than 3 million rai of farmland has been inundated, leaving many farmers to contemplate their rice fields remaining under water for perhaps weeks.

So far, the relief effort has been reactive only, as the government agencies are dealing first with urgent issues. Volunteers and community services are contributing to the relief effort, which includes helping those who are trapped by floodwaters or searching for those who are missing.

While officials and volunteers should be commended for their efforts in helping the victims, the government must lay down a long-term plan to cope with such natural disasters in the future.

Thailand, like many other countries, has seen an increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years. Yet, we are still not readily prepared for them. The warning systems are not effective. People are not sufficiently informed of the likelihood of disaster. Some countries have installed warning sirens to urge people in disaster-prone areas to find shelter or safety during storms or other severe weather conditions. TV and radio stations suspend their normal programmes and broadcast weather updates regularly. Effective warning systems can help save lives. For example, it was not certain why the tourist who died while cycling near Eto Natural Park was not informed of the possibility of mudslides.

In addition, victims need to undergo proper therapy to help them cope with the effects of shock and trauma. Psychiatrists say, for instance, that when floodwaters recede, the victims should be able to go back to the affected areas and move on mentally.

The collapse of buildings in flooded areas also shows that architects and engineers need to be aware of the vulnerability of the soil in many places in this country. The foundations of buildings and houses must be able to withstand flooding and mudslides.

In the meanwhile, the government should plan irrigation or levee systems to prevent future flooding. After all, the people who are usually most affected by floods are often the farmers, the backbone of this country.

-- The Nation 2011-09-13

[IMA_FARANG]

All that is undoubtably true... and needs to be resolved.

But the root cause of the flooding is still what it has always been ... the removal of plant cover, particualy trees in forested areas on the hills.

Once that plant cover is gone, there is nothing to stop rainwater from running off the hills instead of being slowed down and absorbed by the plant cover and earth on the hills. Instead the water runs off the hills, eventually swelling the streams, and flooding the rivers and farm land below.

That's why every thousand Baht spent on improving and rehabilatating the forset/plant cover on the hills is worth ten thousand Baht spent on flood prevention on the flat land below.

[folium]

All that is undoubtably true... and needs to be resolved.

But the root cause of the flooding is still what it has always been ... the removal of plant cover, particualy trees in forested areas on the hills.

Once that plant cover is gone, there is nothing to stop rainwater from running off the hills instead of being slowed down and absorbed by the plant cover and earth on the hills. Instead the water runs off the hills, eventually swelling the streams, and flooding the rivers and farm land below.

That's why every thousand Baht spent on improving and rehabilatating the forset/plant cover on the hills is worth ten thousand Baht spent on flood prevention on the flat land below.

Not quite as simple as that.

There is very little actual scientific date to support the link between deforestation and flooding outside small size river basins. In the absence of complete information,

overgeneralizations or myths about links between land use activities and hydrological processes have emerged, such as ‘deforestation causes flooding’ regardless of basin size, or ‘deforestation causes erosion’, even where natural erosion rates are high. These generalisations, which cannot be verified, and in some cases have been disproved scientifically, are still frequently used as justifications for policy and programmes.

Such myths may selectively single out particular causes from multiple ones in order to support institutional and political agendas, and may be a convenient basis for advice because their assumptions are unverifiable. This leads to misguided policies and remedial approaches, and often results in poor and minority populations in upland areas being made scapegoats, despite their relatively minor contributions to the problem.

There is a growing weight of evidence that the management practice of upland forest appears to be more significant than its presence or not on flood mitigation. Forest management activities may actually increase floods. Additional, pooly planned drainage and road construction tend to increase stream density and soil compaction during

logging.

The actual frequency of flooding globally is little changed (with some local variation), but the impact in human terms is dramatically worsening. This is more a function of construction in inappropriate places due to lack of choice, control or knowledge (often a combination of all 3).

[nong38]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

[pisico]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

You are right: Thailand is reactive and not proactive.

Religion, animism and superstition justify in their minds natural disasters. But after that conclusion nothing is done about it.

Natural disasters, albeit cannot be controlled, at least the damages could be minimized. That attitude is yet to be incorporated to the national consciousness.

Thailand is a follower not a ground breaking country. How many Asian and Western plants produce automobiles in Thailand and yet, not a single attempt to produce a national car has come into fruition. Thailand is a country of assemblers and copiers.

Thai education fosters adherence to the past, to rites, ceremonies, memorization and attendance. The last thing that Thai teachers want in a classroom are students who ask questions and want to learn.

No research and development has a strong presence in Thailand in spite of all the technology that has been absorbed and imported in various ways.

I have first hand knowledge of one institution in Yaowara dedicated to Cancer research and means to treat it and it periodically runs into financial trouble because of lack of proper funding.

Governments: yellow, pink, red or any other color, have made it a point to keep the blinders on the education and research and development of science.

Poor, ill informed (or ignorant) people are easier to control.

By the way, Japan has no oil, no coal deposits and even after 2 devastating wars in the 20th. century (including 2 atomic bombs)... well, even the Thai apologists should get the picture.

What happens in Thailand regarding the OP is the result of cultural traits.

Edited September 13, 2011 by pisico

[kraplung]

Be fair............. this government has more pressing priorities.

[plumeria]

All that is undoubtably true... and needs to be resolved.

But the root cause of the flooding is still what it has always been ... the removal of plant cover, particualy trees in forested areas on the hills.

Once that plant cover is gone, there is nothing to stop rainwater from running off the hills instead of being slowed down and absorbed by the plant cover and earth on the hills. Instead the water runs off the hills, eventually swelling the streams, and flooding the rivers and farm land below.

That's why every thousand Baht spent on improving and rehabilatating the forset/plant cover on the hills is worth ten thousand Baht spent on flood prevention on the flat land below.

Amen! Even my 8-year-old knows you reap what you sow and nature is ruthless. There are no free lunches. Karma can be a bitch.

But the last Thai I asked what he thought about our compost tumbler that's converting the trash and garbage our small place into 20-30 kg of compost each month, he said: "I could care less and wouldn't want it even if it was for free. The only thing I care about is making money."

Unless tourists are going to come here and plant trees, I'm pessimistic anyone will take IMA_FARANG's wise advice.

[plumeria]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

Welllll, actually that is not true.

Long before the present government got into power somebody was busy improving the canals in western Bangkok and they are doing a FANTASTIC JOB!

Very impressive.

They are clearing the banks on each side and putting in enormously long concrete piles (10-15 meters?) between which are pounded in long pre-fab concrete slabs that are about 10 cm thick and 100 cm wide.

They started on that long before any flooding started.

And it's nonsense to say there is little evidence that destroying forests does not cause flooding. I worked for the UN for quite a few years, including time in the Agriculture Division and nobody I know is debating that much of the extreme weather is of our own causing just like what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, Louisiana.

That was NOT a natural disaster. That was a man-made disaster caused by the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Man cannot do anything he wants with impunity. If we fight nature, we will not win.

It's a much better idea to make friends rather than make it an enemy.

[zzaa09]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

Flooding and high water has been an historical cycle forever - since ancient times. Weather conditions aren't political. It is what it is.

The flooding is surely worse in contemporary times, as most don't view the obvious. The ever expanding concrete/cement infrastructure that reduces natural absorption and run-off of seasonal conditions.

Sure, flooding has been a way of life for ceturies....but I can guarantee that conditions have never been a continuous problem as we have found them is the last few decades. And why would this be....?

[hellodolly]

All that is undoubtably true... and needs to be resolved.

But the root cause of the flooding is still what it has always been ... the removal of plant cover, particualy trees in forested areas on the hills.

Once that plant cover is gone, there is nothing to stop rainwater from running off the hills instead of being slowed down and absorbed by the plant cover and earth on the hills. Instead the water runs off the hills, eventually swelling the streams, and flooding the rivers and farm land below.

That's why every thousand Baht spent on improving and rehabilatating the forset/plant cover on the hills is worth ten thousand Baht spent on flood prevention on the flat land below.

Amen! Even my 8-year-old knows you reap what you sow and nature is ruthless. There are no free lunches. Karma can be a bitch.

But the last Thai I asked what he thought about our compost tumbler that's converting the trash and garbage our small place into 20-30 kg of compost each month, he said: "I could care less and wouldn't want it even if it was for free. The only thing I care about is making money."

Unless tourists are going to come here and plant trees, I'm pessimistic anyone will take IMA_FARANG's wise advice.

How many Thais did you have to ask to get that answer. Ill bet more than if you asked it in downtown LA.

[Pedzie]

Be fair............. this government has more pressing priorities.

Maybe now it does, but what about 5-10 years down the line when rainfall may infact worsen across Thailand, without measures taken NOW then it will effect people even more than what the flooding is now

[folium]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

Welllll, actually that is not true.

Long before the present government got into power somebody was busy improving the canals in western Bangkok and they are doing a FANTASTIC JOB!

Very impressive.

They are clearing the banks on each side and putting in enormously long concrete piles (10-15 meters?) between which are pounded in long pre-fab concrete slabs that are about 10 cm thick and 100 cm wide.

They started on that long before any flooding started.

And it's nonsense to say there is little evidence that destroying forests does not cause flooding. I worked for the UN for quite a few years, including time in the Agriculture Division and nobody I know is debating that much of the extreme weather is of our own causing just like what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, Louisiana.

That was NOT a natural disaster. That was a man-made disaster caused by the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Man cannot do anything he wants with impunity. If we fight nature, we will not win.

It's a much better idea to make friends rather than make it an enemy.

Interesting response. The hard engineeering tactics you praise being employed in western Bangkok go fully against your last comment, " If we fight nature, we will not win". Such hard engineering is now being re-evaluated in terms of its expense and efficacy. The Mississippi has been almost entirely hard engineered in its middle and lower sections and, as a result, recent flood events have often been triggered or exacerbated by levees failing. As you say New Orleans flooded in 2005 not because of the hurricane but because the levees had been poorly maintained and in the case of one breach had been actually taken down awaiting repair and replaced by a temporary, flawed defence.

Soft engineering, working with not against nature is the only long-term, sustainable, cost-effective approach to flood mitigation. Sadly it is not feasible to clear flood plains of all human habitation and restore wetlands as the natural sponge they once were. Defending Bangkok, St Louis or New Orleans will be costly and ultimately futile exercises unless flood defences are constantly maintained and rebuilt. In some cases flood defences can be totally counterproductive as people think they mean the problem is solved and preventing a river from flooding horizontally by building defences vertically means that flood water has to either speed up or rise. Neither of these outcomes are ideal to put it mildly. In essence hard engineering, like levees, creates the illusion of safety that promotes further settlement and development of floddplain lands.

As with coastal defences people have come to realize that it is not sustainable to try and defend every inch of river bank unless you want to sign up to a blank, open-ended cheque. Like the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans some places may have to be sacrificed but that in itself throws up the whole question of who chooses the allocation of funding and defences etc

Urbanisation on a flood plain with its impervious surfaces (roofs, hard standing etc) plus the provision of drainage systems almost guarantees the possibility of flash floods as the system is overloaded and responds in its predictable way by overflowing the channels provided.

Flooding is a natural phenomenom, it only becomes a hazard or a disaster if people get in the way or exacerbate the situation.

PS if you can provide some concrete evidence that deforestation produces flooding on anything but the small scale, I would love to see it. This appears to be one of the classic myths/misunderstandings that is perpetuated despite an almost total lack of scientific evidence.

[SomTumTiger]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

Welllll, actually that is not true.

Long before the present government got into power somebody was busy improving the canals in western Bangkok and they are doing a FANTASTIC JOB!

Very impressive.

They are clearing the banks on each side and putting in enormously long concrete piles (10-15 meters?) between which are pounded in long pre-fab concrete slabs that are about 10 cm thick and 100 cm wide.

They started on that long before any flooding started.

And it's nonsense to say there is little evidence that destroying forests does not cause flooding. I worked for the UN for quite a few years, including time in the Agriculture Division and nobody I know is debating that much of the extreme weather is of our own causing just like what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, Louisiana.

That was NOT a natural disaster. That was a man-made disaster caused by the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Man cannot do anything he wants with impunity. If we fight nature, we will not win.

It's a much better idea to make friends rather than make it an enemy.

Interesting response. The hard engineeering tactics you praise being employed in western Bangkok go fully against your last comment, " If we fight nature, we will not win". Such hard engineering is now being re-evaluated in terms of its expense and efficacy. The Mississippi has been almost entirely hard engineered in its middle and lower sections and, as a result, recent flood events have often been triggered or exacerbated by levees failing. As you say New Orleans flooded in 2005 not because of the hurricane but because the levees had been poorly maintained and in the case of one breach had been actually taken down awaiting repair and replaced by a temporary, flawed defence.

Soft engineering, working with not against nature is the only long-term, sustainable, cost-effective approach to flood mitigation. Sadly it is not feasible to clear flood plains of all human habitation and restore wetlands as the natural sponge they once were. Defending Bangkok, St Louis or New Orleans will be costly and ultimately futile exercises unless flood defences are constantly maintained and rebuilt. In some cases flood defences can be totally counterproductive as people think they mean the problem is solved and preventing a river from flooding horizontally by building defences vertically means that flood water has to either speed up or rise. Neither of these outcomes are ideal to put it mildly. In essence hard engineering, like levees, creates the illusion of safety that promotes further settlement and development of floddplain lands.

As with coastal defences people have come to realize that it is not sustainable to try and defend every inch of river bank unless you want to sign up to a blank, open-ended cheque. Like the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans some places may have to be sacrificed but that in itself throws up the whole question of who chooses the allocation of funding and defences etc

Urbanisation on a flood plain with its impervious surfaces (roofs, hard standing etc) plus the provision of drainage systems almost guarantees the possibility of flash floods as the system is overloaded and responds in its predictable way by overflowing the channels provided.

Flooding is a natural phenomenom, it only becomes a hazard or a disaster if people get in the way or exacerbate the situation.

PS if you can provide some concrete evidence that deforestation produces flooding on anything but the small scale, I would love to see it. This appears to be one of the classic myths/misunderstandings that is perpetuated despite an almost total lack of scientific evidence.

This message has been brought to you by the people who cut the trees down -

[folium]

When the rains stop and the floods recede everyone will breath a sigh of relief and life will go back to normal. Who will remember last year or this year and that the same will likely happen next year. Now is the time for forward planning, but, I have noticed that forward planning in Thailand is not what Thailand is noted for, until that changes this will become an annual event that will continue take all and sundry by surprise.

Welllll, actually that is not true.

Long before the present government got into power somebody was busy improving the canals in western Bangkok and they are doing a FANTASTIC JOB!

Very impressive.

They are clearing the banks on each side and putting in enormously long concrete piles (10-15 meters?) between which are pounded in long pre-fab concrete slabs that are about 10 cm thick and 100 cm wide.

They started on that long before any flooding started.

And it's nonsense to say there is little evidence that destroying forests does not cause flooding. I worked for the UN for quite a few years, including time in the Agriculture Division and nobody I know is debating that much of the extreme weather is of our own causing just like what Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans, Louisiana.

That was NOT a natural disaster. That was a man-made disaster caused by the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Man cannot do anything he wants with impunity. If we fight nature, we will not win.

It's a much better idea to make friends rather than make it an enemy.

Interesting response. The hard engineeering tactics you praise being employed in western Bangkok go fully against your last comment, " If we fight nature, we will not win". Such hard engineering is now being re-evaluated in terms of its expense and efficacy. The Mississippi has been almost entirely hard engineered in its middle and lower sections and, as a result, recent flood events have often been triggered or exacerbated by levees failing. As you say New Orleans flooded in 2005 not because of the hurricane but because the levees had been poorly maintained and in the case of one breach had been actually taken down awaiting repair and replaced by a temporary, flawed defence.

Soft engineering, working with not against nature is the only long-term, sustainable, cost-effective approach to flood mitigation. Sadly it is not feasible to clear flood plains of all human habitation and restore wetlands as the natural sponge they once were. Defending Bangkok, St Louis or New Orleans will be costly and ultimately futile exercises unless flood defences are constantly maintained and rebuilt. In some cases flood defences can be totally counterproductive as people think they mean the problem is solved and preventing a river from flooding horizontally by building defences vertically means that flood water has to either speed up or rise. Neither of these outcomes are ideal to put it mildly. In essence hard engineering, like levees, creates the illusion of safety that promotes further settlement and development of floddplain lands.

As with coastal defences people have come to realize that it is not sustainable to try and defend every inch of river bank unless you want to sign up to a blank, open-ended cheque. Like the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans some places may have to be sacrificed but that in itself throws up the whole question of who chooses the allocation of funding and defences etc

Urbanisation on a flood plain with its impervious surfaces (roofs, hard standing etc) plus the provision of drainage systems almost guarantees the possibility of flash floods as the system is overloaded and responds in its predictable way by overflowing the channels provided.

Flooding is a natural phenomenom, it only becomes a hazard or a disaster if people get in the way or exacerbate the situation.

PS if you can provide some concrete evidence that deforestation produces flooding on anything but the small scale, I would love to see it. This appears to be one of the classic myths/misunderstandings that is perpetuated despite an almost total lack of scientific evidence.

This message has been brought to you by the people who cut the trees down -

And your supported evidence for deforestation= large scale flooding would be.......

Why let facts get in the way of sloppy journalism, which perpetuates this apparent myth.