Ready For The Deluge

[Lite Beer]

LIFESTYLE

Ready for the deluge

Pattarawadee Saengmanee

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Cameras that watch the flood creep, a better floating toilet - it's about being prepared

One of the frequent complaints during last autumn's flooding was that people under threat had no idea where the water was - still kilometres off, in the next district, lapping at the front door?

Well, a monitoring system conceived by computer engineers in Chiang Mai University's OASYS Research Group might be in place for the next deluge, which many people believe may come soon.

It's one of seven winning ideas unveiled last week in the Thailand Creative and Design Centre's "Design for Flood" competition, all of which will be developed as prototypes. Hopefully we won't need these brainstorms for rainstorms, but it's nice to know they're handy.

The OASYS scheme promises to provide people in areas at risk what they were missing last time - accurate information.

Sensors would watch the level and speed of floodwater and estimate how many days it will take to reach specific neighbourhoods. Cameras and devices to measure rainfall and temperature would be installed in every zone.

Presumably the authorities would thus have solid reasons for hitting the panic button - or for reassuring us that we're still entirely safe. The contest, with its motto "Design Thinking", injects some reassuring creativity into the chaos of natural disaster.

The flooding that swept through 64 provinces during the last half of 2011 and into this year sparked the competition, which drew entries from private firms, design studios and universities.

"The flood damaged a vast area of the country and a million people had to suffer the hardships," said Kittiarttana Pitipanich, a design centre adviser. "We spent four months doing research in collaboration with King Mongkut's University of Technology in Thonburi and Lad Krabang, FIF Design Studios, Cerebrum Design, KLS and Redek.

"All of the winning ideas will be developed as prototypes and offered 'open source' to the public on our website."

The team from Tanakul Workgroup addressed another problem that kept recurring last year and was partly resolved with toilets that could float on their own rafts. Tanakul's mobile Public Toilet also floats, and it adds wastebaskets, life belts and easy cleaning.

The same group came up with the contest's best emergency signage. One type of sign carries information about the current situation in a given area, including possible dangers such as sewage, slippery surfaces, submerged obstacles like speed bumps, strong water flow and loose electrical wires.

Another is a standardised template with which people in remote areas can indicate their location by GPS and appeal for food, drugs or drinking water. It's designed as a map that can be simply marked and e-mailed or posted on one of the social media.

Flat 6 Studio's iridescent Floating Furniture for Schools is mildew-resistant, made from lightweight PE plastic and so vividly coloured that it can be spotted from far away. Plus, the furniture can carry belongings and food and even be piled up to form a flood barrier when sandbags are unavailable.

Nuttapong Thammaruksasit sketched out the Private Vehicle for Travelling during Floods, with office workers primarily in mind. No excuse for failing to show up for work when you've got this lightweight contraption and its paddle. When not carrying employees, it could be used as a tote bag for office clothing and accessories.

For those refusing to leave home, Yotsawadee Luetrakulset - a fourth-year architecture student at King Monkut's U in Thonburi - offers the Sufficient Vegetables Gardening Kit. It comes with a handbook that includes a weekly planting schedule and a list of vegetables that require little sunlight, just soil and, well, lots of water.

"Bean sprouts, water morning glory, coriander, scallions, bok choy, basil and Chinese cabbage and kale have short roots, about 10 centimetres, so they don't need much space to grow and are thus suitable for residential areas," says Yotsawadee. "They grow fast, too - anywhere from three days to a month and a half."

The diseases that floodwater carries became a major concern last time. Vatcharanont Kongchatthai's Disease Diagnosis Kit could save lives by helping people record any symptoms that appear - early, common and distinctive symptoms - and compare them on a chart to those associated with five common flood-borne diseases.

It explains the potential for infection and how to apply basic treatment while tracking the symptoms' progress as an aid for the doctor you eventually get to see.

WHAT'S NEXT

<< You can get more details at www.TCDC.or.th.

<< The Thailand Creative and Design Centre plans to work up the winning designs into prototypes in August and will also, on its own, further develop three design briefs that did not win.

-- The Nation 2012-06-24

[theblether]

It all looks very worthy, and very good ideas. I hope it works out, it would be good to get a success story.

[noitom]

It would be good to see the press publicizing all the wealthy Thais who contributed to the design center or how they get their funding. It looks like they have great results and need more funding and charity contributions. It's for sure that there are many elite Thai wealthy who would like to give but know know where or how.

[Moruya]

Who is doing something? The government with its hundreds of billions or the students?

Well done students!

[moe666]

No big flood this year, no where near the rain from last year.

[AngryParent]

Buy your boats now!

Later farangs pay double.

[AngryParent]

Who is doing something? The government with its hundreds of billions or the students?

Well done students!

May I remind all that it is the students and it is just a PROTOTYPE!!!

The government has not spent any money to install water sensors that would be needed for such programs.

So, at present, you have a beautiful looking program that makes the computer screen look important and busy but does nothing. A bit like most things here - looks good but has no substance.

[rakman]

I would think some government agency already has level and river speed information. With a decent drainage basin model, prediction of the start of flooding would be pretty easy to do.

With all the cameras deployed, one could put painted measuring marks on known objects like light or power poles or walls.

Then just monitor the cameras in existence.

[Moruya]

Who is doing something? The government with its hundreds of billions or the students?

Well done students!

May I remind all that it is the students and it is just a PROTOTYPE!!!

The government has not spent any money to install water sensors that would be needed for such programs.

So, at present, you have a beautiful looking program that makes the computer screen look important and busy but does nothing. A bit like most things here - looks good but has no substance.

True but I'm applauding the fact that some has done something helpful.

Tanking in industrial estates is not much good for the businesses within (even if they work!) and are of no use at all to residents, possibly even making matters worse.

[Pseudolus]

The most useful thing last year were the websites set up by people sat in their homes where people post "flood is in my road, this deep" and then you could search by district. Can't remember the link that i used but enabled me to move out and get safe 24 hr before it hit my soi. All this bluster is worthless because they miss the simple fact that distributing information is fine, but it needs to be up to date and reliable. A website with a map that is updated every 2 hours, 24 hrs a day; how easy is that? Radio broadcasts every hour after the news saying exactly which areas are about to be flooded. Easy. TV reports doing the same instead of hours and hours of video diaries with sloppy music back grounds showing people already flooded and yet not actually bothering to tell people "on this road, sois 1-17 are now being flooded".

[LennyW]

No big flood this year, no where near the rain from last year.

According to this story there has been MORE average rainfall since the start of this year than the same period last year?? In fact, this story paints a pretty gloomy picture for some areas!! http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/564431-ayutthaya-will-be-submerged-again/

[lovetotravel]

No big flood this year, no where near the rain from last year.

According to this story there has been MORE average rainfall since the start of this year than the same period last year?? In fact, this story paints a pretty gloomy picture for some areas!! http://www.thaivisa....ubmerged-again/

No worries Lenny! Yingluck promised us no more floods. I feel better already. Especially since Chalerm will have all the mafia gone in 3 months!!

[Huayrat]

Has not rained at all here in buriram not like last year... no floods this year

[whybother]

Has not rained at all here in buriram not like last year... no floods this year

It's still early.

[Pseudolus]

I hope that Chalerm says

"We will wipe out flood cloud mafia in 3 months".

Winner. The shame is though that the politicians / cops made so much personal money from the floods that there is no way they will want to stop them again.

[how241]

It all looks very worthy, and very good ideas. I hope it works out, it would be good to get a success story.

+1

[MEL1]

Just get ready to sing.

That's PTPs answer to everything.

-mel.

[MB1]

Who is doing something? The government with its hundreds of billions or the students?

Well done students!

May I remind all that it is the students and it is just a PROTOTYPE!!!

The government has not spent any money to install water sensors that would be needed for such programs.

So, at present, you have a beautiful looking program that makes the computer screen look important and busy but does nothing. A bit like most things here - looks good but has no substance.

Well it don't really matter any way does it. Didn't the PM say recently that their would be no floods so no point in the government spending money, well not yet anyway until the next big floods happen.

[Razzler1973]

Is there expected to be flooding again?

[MEL1]

Is there expected to be flooding again?

Can you swim?

-mel.

[hellodolly]

No big flood this year, no where near the rain from last year.

According to this story there has been MORE average rainfall since the start of this year than the same period last year?? In fact, this story paints a pretty gloomy picture for some areas!! http://www.thaivisa....ubmerged-again/

But not in the areas as last year. Hear in Chiang Mai the river has not risen a bit,..

[Soutpeel]

Is there expected to be flooding again?

Of course not...dont be silly....Yingluck has spoken....watch her lips..."no more floods"......I really dont know why you people are so cynical...We have to trust the PM

[mrtoad]

Is there expected to be flooding again?

Of course not...dont be silly....Yingluck has spoken....watch her lips..."no more floods"......I really dont know why you people are so cynical...We have to trust the PM

Absolutely, who could doubt anything that she says a being untrue

[Soutpeel]

Is there expected to be flooding again?

Of course not...dont be silly....Yingluck has spoken....watch her lips..."no more floods"......I really dont know why you people are so cynical...We have to trust the PM

Absolutely, who could doubt anything that she says a being untrue

Of course who could doubt her ?.....after all she delivered the minimum wage to Thailand, Gave every school going age child an I-pad and lest not forget what she did with the rice pledging scheme...

[cooked]

great, investing money to find out what is happening, or whatever happened up to 2 hours ago. Any research being done into how to prevent what may be happening? Same old story everywhere, not just Thailand.

[otherstuff1957]

Here's a little date that will help us with our predictions... Courtesy if the Thai Meteorological Dept.:

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

So, we can see why the south was flooding a little while back, but, until May, the north was getting around the normal amount of rainfall.

My prediction: We will see some flooding (after all, it is the rainy season), but I think it's too early to say if we are going to see anything really catastrophic.

[h90]

Here's a little date that will help us with our predictions... Courtesy if the Thai Meteorological Dept.:

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

So, we can see why the south was flooding a little while back, but, until May, the north was getting around the normal amount of rainfall.

My prediction: We will see some flooding (after all, it is the rainy season), but I think it's too early to say if we are going to see anything really catastrophic.

June and July will be very interesting....

[MB1]

So, we can see why the south was flooding a little while back, but, until May, the north was getting around the normal amount of rainfall.

My prediction: We will see some flooding (after all, it is the rainy season), but I think it's too early to say if we are going to see anything really catastrophic.

I doubt any one can accurately long term weather forcast exactly when the floods are going to hit Thailand but for a PM to say there will be no floods is laughable but TIT but also did she really say it or was something lost in translation.

[letitbe]

hang on this government promised their would be no floods this year and I always believe this government dont you

[Moruya]

Otherstuff1957

What is negative rainfall in the graph? Evaporation?