Water Plan Faces Major Environmental Hurdles

[Lite Beer]

INFRASTRUCTURE

Water plan faces major environmental hurdles

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA,

PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Impact assessments, expected local opposition make 5-year goal unlikely, critics say

Environmental constraints could pose a big threat to the government's Bt350-billion water-management plan - with its vision for eight big dams, including the controversial Kaeng Sua Ten Dam in Phrae and a number of smaller dams.

newsjsGovernment officials and experts warn that regardless of whether Thai or foreign bidders win the contracts, there is a high risk that the projects may not be completed within five years as planned, given that the works require support from communities and extensive studies on their environmental impact.

Aside from dams in the Ping, Yom, Nan, Pasak and Sakaekrang river basins, which must hold a combined 2 billion cubic metres of water, proper floodways would also require support from local administrations as well as villagers whose land would be affected.

Many projects would need environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and environmental and health impact assessments (EHIAs)

"Even if these are part of the comprehensive water management master plan, they must comply with the environmental law and legal procedures - especially dams that retain over 100 million cubic metres of water," the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP)'s Santi Boonprakrab said.

"For these dams it would take at least two years to conduct the EHIA and get approval from the expert panel," he added.

The government recently named six bidders as qualifiers for the 10 investment modules. All bidders are to submit final plans within the next month. This means no project has submitted an EHIA report to the environmental expert panel, set up under Article 67(2) of the Constitution.

Further complicating this issue is the fact that some dam projects have failed to win approval over past decades, including the Royal Irrigation Department's Mae Wong Dam in Nakhon Sawan. The department submitted several EHIA reports over the past 30 years, without success. And now, these projects are part of the water-management plan.

EHIA reports are also required on projects that include planned sluice gates or construction in watershed areas.

According to Santi, only floodway projects do not need EIA or EHIA reports.

The chance to win approval on any of these projects looks slim, if the words of Hannarong Yaowalers, president of the Foundation for Integrated Water Management, are to be taken seriously. He said community opposition would be strong - particularly when it concerns big dams. Also the government may have violated laws by not hosting public hearings on the projects.

Asked why South Korean construction companies qualified for several modules, including the one that encompasses Kaeng Sua Ten, Team Group executive Chawalit Chantararat said his company had decided not to submit bids because it expected that controversies over environmental issues would hinder the construction effort.

Instead of building big dams, his company proposed small reservoirs. Even so, he was not totally convinced all projects would win the support of the community and environmentalists.

To Prof Dr Thanawat Jarupongsakul, head of Chulalongkorn University's Unit for Disaster and Land Information Studies, a big construction rush would pose problems in preventing floods. He said plans were based on 2011 data, but another massive flood is expected in the near future with a higher mass of rainwater.

EIAs and EHIAs aside, the government is under fire on the funding front. Last year, it approved an executive decree to endorse Bt350 billion in borrowing for this project without parliamentary screening. A year has passed and less than Bt10 billion has been disbursed.

The investment, along with the Bt2.27-trillion infrastructure development plan, is a key factor boosting Thailand's attractiveness to foreign investors ahead of the implementation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

See related video at www.nationmultimedia.com

-- The Nation 2013-02-11

[rubl]

wasn't it last month that PM Yingluck announced and explained a few national strategies. Including

"She said the government emphasises growth on the quality-of-life and environmentally-friendly basis, as well as development of state administrative system."

[Melyn]

More unachievable promises.

That "urgent" loan of 350 Billion must be gathering dust.

I'm guessing nobody thought to kick off the environmental assessments in 2011?

[dcutman]

wasn't it last month that PM Yingluck announced and explained a few national strategies. Including

"She said the government emphasises growth on the quality-of-life and environmentally-friendly basis, as well as development of state administrative system."

According to the Boat Prop extraordinaire.

The government would draw up bidding conditions for the Bt350-billion project this week, he said, adding that details of the project, including an environmental impact assessment, would be finished in two weeks and contracts would be signed in April.

[Locationthailand]

I am all for some smaller reservoirs as many of these dams will do untold damage especially in conservation areas of tigers which are on the verge of extinction in Thailand. The money would be better spent on sorting out the drainage of the un-townplanned city and securing drainage canals along the flood plains. If checks and measure had been done on Bangkok and surrounding areas as the city just went ahead and built, this would not even be an issue. If they haven't got the time to do it right now, how can they find the tie to go back and fix it and at what cost.

[Robby nz]

I assume that by dams they mean dams accross the actual rivers, to me a very bad idea both in the construction phase and after.

Instead of building big dams, his company proposed small reservoirs. Even so, he was not totally convinced all projects would win the support of the community and environmentalists.

Provided they are done along the lines of the Kings monkey cheek proposal and that they are permant bodies of water that can have other uses besides just accepting excess water in the time of flood.

There is great potentiel for these bodies of water, from recreational use to both commercial fishing and fish breeding to restock the rivers with each reservoir or small lake having its own designated use.

All of these uses would need people to manage them so everyone displaced by them should be able to be employed at hopefully a better wage than they can now get from the land.

[ResX]

Those dams can provide 2billion cubic meters of retention capacity. I supposed for flood waters. Natural flood retention capability of the Chao Pharaya, based on my estimate can hold another 1.5 billion cubic meters. Two dams in the north can provide another around 7 billion cubic meters of retention capacity. Then Thailand has already have 10.5 billion cubic meters of retention capacity. Thailand is looking for another 4.5 billion cubic meters of retention capacity to make it to become 15 billion cubic meters. That is good to reduce flood risk at least to one-in-fifty years.

Having the retention capacity is 90% of the requirement. The remaining is to get the right strategy to be adopted. The problem is the remaining 10% that actually dominates the event. In 2011 extreme flood event, at least 10.5 billion flood retention capacity that has already at your perusal worked out against you due to, at best poor flood defence strategy being adopted. At worst Thailand does not have one!

[allan michaud]

I assume that by dams they mean dams accross the actual rivers, to me a very bad idea both in the construction phase and after.

Instead of building big dams, his company proposed small reservoirs. Even so, he was not totally convinced all projects would win the support of the community and environmentalists.

Provided they are done along the lines of the Kings monkey cheek proposal and that they are permant bodies of water that can have other uses besides just accepting excess water in the time of flood.

There is great potentiel for these bodies of water, from recreational use to both commercial fishing and fish breeding to restock the rivers with each reservoir or small lake having its own designated use.

All of these uses would need people to manage them so everyone displaced by them should be able to be employed at hopefully a better wage than they can now get from the land.

and most of the native species of fish die out. That's a great idea.

[Tatsujin]

The investment, along with the Bt2.27-trillion infrastructure development plan, is a key factor boosting Thailand's attractiveness to foreign investors ahead of the implementation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

Where did that come from? And what's 30% of Bt2.27-trillion?

[khunken]

Calling for contracts on Plodprasop's grandiose 'plans' is similar to sorting out the liunch-boxes on the high-speed train project.

[Pimay1]

Calling for contracts on Plodprasop's grandiose 'plans' is similar to sorting out the liunch-boxes on the high-speed train project.

And the lunch box offered to the judges by Thaksin'a lawyer.