Thai flood: Better early warning system is sorely needed

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Better early warning system is sorely needed
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- JUDGING FROM the recent flooding, it is clear that the government needs to improve its early-warning system so people can protect themselves and their property.

Owing to heavy downpours caused by the monsoon trough and depression, more than 628,766 people in 24 provinces in the Northeast and the East have been badly affected and 13 lives have been lost.

Recently, affected locals in Prachin Buri went on television to complain that their homes were submerged because no state agency had provided them with an early warning.

"These floods were mainly caused by the mismanagement of local government agencies and the central administration's weakness. The state agencies don't even have enough manpower to run the system properly," Dr Anond Snidvongs, an executive director for the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda), said.

In 2011, when massive floods hit as many as 65 provinces, the government announced it would set up a water and flood information centre to manage the early warning system as part of its mammoth Bt350-billion water-management and flood-prevention scheme. It said it would earmark about Bt4 billion to establish a single command centre.

There are already more than 18 state agencies that deal with flood problems including the Royal Irrigation Department and the National Disaster Warning Centre, yet it seems like they will not go beyond their basic duties.

"Even they didn't send any warnings to villagers living in flood-risk areas," Anond said.

A survey by The Nation showed that many state agencies have been posting information on several websites. The only problem is that the language used is far too complicated and technical for the layman to understand. Even the special mobile-phone applications or messages via Facebook and Twitter showing where and when the rain will fall are too ambiguous.

This is probably why many people rely on international websites or applications too keep up with the weather conditions.

It is true that this year there are no risk factors to suggest there will be massive flooding in the Central region or the capital. Also, big dams such as Bhumibol, Sirikit and Khwae Noi in the North do not need to discharge massive amounts of water like they did in 2011, and there are plenty of water-retention areas that can hold run-off and prevent flooding in the capital and other major cities. However, the government still needs to be ready to handle flooding and respond immediately to emergency situations.

"It is not too late for the government to learn a lesson from the flooding in areas like Prachin Buri, analyse its errors and come up with ways to cope with floods, especially in terms of the accuracy of the early warning system," Anond said.

Let's hope the government heeds his words.


-- The Nation 2013-10-01

[lee b]

Its better if they DONT say there is nothing to worry about - FULL STOP

Edited September 30, 2013 by lee b

[NongKhaiKid]

What utter nonsense and coming from a newspaper is a waste of trees.

To say it's not too late for the government to learn from the Prachin Buri flooding beggars belief.

The lesson of lessons was learned in 2011 and what happened inluding the wherebouts of all the money borrowed for the super duper all singing, all dancing flood prevention measures that never came to pass ?

Apart from any corruption aspects official views on flooding come down to the words of that little crawling non-entity Banham who offered to run the show in Prachin Buri if the PM was too busy with other things ! Banham is of course trying to keep himself in the political loop but what a thoughtless, insensitive thing to say.

As PM what could be more important than half the country and it's people under water ?

I am of course excluding major issues such as running the country for her brother's benefit according to his dictates and planning overseas visits. The latter has taken on a new dimension of planning now we know she has to carefully select the food to take since the local muck is inedible.

[MaxLee]

More common sense is needed, why would you keep the water in the dams during dry season and fill it up for three months rainy season AND then release it when they are pit full DURING climax September and October tornado storm season???

[ignis]

especially in terms of the accuracy of the early warning system,

Accuracy in 2011 was just fine where I live..... middle of night wake up with whistles blowing = river bank has breached

[Patje]

Well, the early warning system is overruled by the people in charge who did say nobody had to worry, their would be no flood. Even now these high placed persons are pledging that in 7 days the water will be gone !!!!

I wonder with the short memory the Thai leaders seem to have, there will ever be a solution for this problem .

I suggest that the people do their duty when it comes to voting and punish these characters for their deeds, not for their words !!!

[LuckyLew]

It is pretty simple really

Tell the people in charge the following ...

Every September October and November it rains a lot in Thailand and there are also rains brought in due to hurricanes and typhoons. To be ready you should ensure the dams have a minimal amount of water in them in the run up to these months.

[lawrence1366]

Well done Great idea, till next raining season

[noitom]

They've been talking about this early warning system for years and years. Thais talking . puffing, and blowing smoke.

[DocN]

Oh come on <deleted>...it happens every year, around the same time!

Just pay me some money and I pick up the phone at the beginning of September and "early warn" you!

[Local Drunk]

especially in terms of the accuracy of the early warning system,

Accuracy in 2011 was just fine where I live..... middle of night wake up with whistles blowing = river bank has breached

In 2011, you got a wake up call. The government is still sleeping.

[MaxLee]

especially in terms of the accuracy of the early warning system,

Accuracy in 2011 was just fine where I live..... middle of night wake up with whistles blowing = river bank has breached

In 2011, you got a wake up call. The government is still sleeping.

Nope, the Pheu Thai goons are just paid to white-lie and screw the taxpayers over at THEIR expense, for the benefits to themselves...

Edited October 1, 2013 by MaxLee

[Always18]

I hereby warn the Thai people that there will be widespread flooding next year.

There now...............is that sufficient advance warning?

[klauskunkel]

I hereby warn the Thai people that there will be widespread flooding next year.

There now...............is that sufficient advance warning?

You should get your share of the budget!

[nong38]

Been said before, every year in fact. Why do you keep putting incompetent people in the job?

NEXT!

[h90]

Warning system:

Starting in September 2014 there will be a lot of rain with floods from mid September to mid November.

For a 10 Million I make a forecast for 2015.....

[Thai at Heart]

Forget an early warning system that costs billions.

Import 100 high school geography artifices m students from the west. They will have a reasonably accurate system in 3 months.

[outsider]

"Better early warning system is sorely needed"??? Seriously? Only now? What happened in 2011? Didn't anyone learn anything then? Really a bunch of blithering idiots.

[I Like Thai]

It is pretty simple really

Tell the people in charge the following ...

Every September October and November it rains a lot in Thailand and there are also rains brought in due to hurricanes and typhoons. To be ready you should ensure the dams have a minimal amount of water in them in the run up to these months.

What happens when the rain isn't as heavy as it is this year, then the reservoirs run dry during the hot season leaving major shortages of water ?

[kannot]

It is pretty simple really

Tell the people in charge the following ...

Every September October and November it rains a lot in Thailand and there are also rains brought in due to hurricanes and typhoons. To be ready you should ensure the dams have a minimal amount of water in them in the run up to these months.

What happens when the rain isn't as heavy as it is this year, then the reservoirs run dry during the hot season leaving major shortages of water ?

I dug a bluddy big hole 7-8 metres deep and I dont have a problem with any water.....................i believe its called "planning for a rainy day"

[BillyBobThai]

The same thing happens up north every year. When the cold spell comes, we hear of people dieing due to the cold temp. Now unles I am wrong on this, it has been getting cold in the mountians and flooding down in the river deltas for a good 10,000 years or so. What would Darwin have to say about the current state of Thailand???