Thailand in grip of drought

[webfact]

Kingdom in grip of drought
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Official figures show that drought is now well entrenched in many provinces across the country. As of last Friday, they reveal water shortages have struck 20 provinces in the North, the Northeast, the East and the South.

In the Northeast province of Kalasin, more than 2,000 paddy fields are parched and crops appear on the verge of withering.

Piyapanya Phukwanmuang, director of the Kalasin-based Lampao irrigation project, said while the irrigated areas there should have enough water for consumption and farming, land plots beyond irrigation zones could face serious water shortages.

In Ubon Ratchathani, the water level in the Chi River is getting so low that a local irrigation chief predicts severe drought this year.

"In fact, the lower portion of the Chi River has already run dry," Wongpat Nuraj said in his capacity as chief of the That Noi Dyke irrigation project.

In the South, a royal-initiated experimental farm project also faces a drought threat. "Since January, we haven't seen any rain," the project's assistant manager Runchuan said from Yala's Raman district.

She said if no rain arrives, water supply would be gone in the next 20 days.

In the North, longan farmers lamented that drought had hit the country earlier than expected this year.

"The water level in the Ping River is low," Northern Longan Farmers Network's Prathuang Kongrord said.

In Uttaradit, Rung Nuankhiao said she had dug a pond to ensure water supply during the drought. "But this year, the problem is so bad my pond won't have enough water," he said.


-- The Nation 2014-03-12

[CelticBhoy]

In Uttaradit, Rung Nuankhiao said she had dug a pond to ensure water supply during the drought. "But this year, the problem is so bad my pond won't have enough water," he said.

That was a quick sex change.

[bangkokheat]

dont panic, songkran will go ahead as usual

[IMA_FARANG]

The bad news for Thailand (and all of Southeast Asia) is that the El Nino/ La Nina cycle is now going into it's El Nino phase for the next 7 year cycle.

This cycle depends on water currents and surface water temperatures in the Pacific ocean off of South America,

Warmer water temperatures there mean more storms and rain for South America ..... less rain for Southeast Asia.

This is a continuing cycle of 7 relatively dry years and 7 relatively wet years for Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, this is the start of a 7 year dry cycle.and less rain than normal until the roughly 7 year cycle switches back to the wetter La Nina cycle where the rain should return to Southeast Asia.

The "good" news for Southeast Asia is that climatologists think the El Nino cycle should be less severe than normal.

Well, probably, anyhow.

Since this cycle is well known, and has been running for several thousand years at least, the guess is that it will mean drier weather and less total rain for Southeast Asia for the next 7 years or so.

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

[Thait Spot]

This could be catastrophic for the farmers. Surplus rice will have been detrimental to the water supply for sure....

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[terryp]

dont worry they will only waste a few BILLION ltrs over songkran.......... AGAIN, Thailand needs to understand it is not the wet Country it once was, Issan is becoming a desert

[4evermaat]

I noticed in Chumphon no rain for a very long time. Maybe 4 months or so. It was cloudy briefly yesterday and the day before, but not one drop.

It didnt dawn on me until I noticed a small problem with growing some spring onions. But additional watering didnt help too much. It was when I went down the street, and saw what used to be large ponds of water with some type of irrigation system where there was spinning pikes moving the water was completely dry.

....

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

True, but we can shift our habits and building/farming techniques to adapt. Tel Aviv, Israel is a good example of sophisticated metro in the middle of a desert. Las vegas, nevada is another.

"You dont need to learn to love yourself; you just need to UNLEARN all the reasons you reject yourself..." -sent from TV app (Note 2).

Edited March 12, 2014 by 4evermaat

[focus27]

The bad news for Thailand (and all of Southeast Asia) is that the El Nino/ La Nina cycle is now going into it's El Nino phase for the next 7 year cycle.

This cycle depends on water currents and surface water temperatures in the Pacific ocean off of South America,

Warmer water temperatures there mean more storms and rain for South America ..... less rain for Southeast Asia.

This is a continuing cycle of 7 relatively dry years and 7 relatively wet years for Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, this is the start of a 7 year dry cycle.and less rain than normal until the roughly 7 year cycle switches back to the wetter La Nina cycle where the rain should return to Southeast Asia.

The "good" news for Southeast Asia is that climatologists think the El Nino cycle should be less severe than normal.

Well, probably, anyhow.

Since this cycle is well known, and has been running for several thousand years at least, the guess is that it will mean drier weather and less total rain for Southeast Asia for the next 7 years or so.

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

That may be so, but the building of hydroelectric dams creates its own human cycles that are superimposed on any natural cycles.

Looks like the dry years are going to get drier.

[sms747]

Floods just around the corner then.

[JoeThePoster]

This will definitely increase the price of rice by at least 10 satang per kilo.

[ginjag]

dont worry they will only waste a few BILLION ltrs over songkran.......... AGAIN, Thailand needs to understand it is not the wet Country it once was, Issan is becoming a desert

Authorities will make sure the pipes are bursting with water during what was 2 days celebration, now 1 week in some parts.

Have 2 days the same as years ago---then stop. or give it a miss this year. Oh sorry kids rule. OK,

Do not forget the mighty Mekong river is 1 meter higher than last year, so no river bank BBQs yet until the level drops. is there no way to drain off the Mekong ???

[jayjayjayjay]

This should be good for the rice scheme! Suthep had better hurry up with his removal of the government so he can claim to have saved "The Nation" with sky rocketing rice prices!!!!

[worgeordie]

This will be good news for the next government , as it seems the whole

of SE Asia is having a drought, so rice harvest will be a lot less,and they

might be able to sell the stored rice,IF its still edible.

regards Worgeordie

[empireboy]

It should help the rice price and then floods will come and another cycle will be complete! Nothing new here.

[kamahele]

When I drive by the full reservoir outside of Korat, I wonder when they will let some of the water out. Are they waiting for the rainy season when they will then release torrents of water flooding the province? Rhetorical question.

[rogerdee123]

Up in the NE the sky is full of pollution and smoke from various forest fires set by farmers and the illegal loggers ... probably enhanced a bit from the southerly dry-season winds from China. It won't be long before Thailand is painting it's hillsides green, same same China did for the Olympic tourists, to pretend like there are still trees and grass growing here.

Edited March 12, 2014 by rogerdee123

[godden]

O dear, i see stormy times ahead

[bigbamboo]

So how's Plod's 350 billion baht flood prevention plan doing?

[philliphn]

They should make the best of a bad situation. Deepen, and enlarge all reservoirs. Build some more water storage capacity.

[soalbundy]

I noticed in Chumphon no rain for a very long time. Maybe 4 months or so. It was cloudy briefly yesterday and the day before, but not one drop.

It didnt dawn on me until I noticed a small problem with growing some spring onions. But additional watering didnt help too much. It was when I went down the street, and saw what used to be large ponds of water with some type of irrigation system where there was spinning pikes moving the water was completely dry.

....

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

True, but we can shift our habits and building/farming techniques to adapt. Tel Aviv, Israel is a good example of sophisticated metro in the middle of a desert. Las vegas, nevada is another.

"You dont need to learn to love yourself; you just need to UNLEARN all the reasons you reject yourself..." -sent from TV app (Note 2).

Israel has a high standard of education,its people are innovative and can think outside the box,Thailand doesn't even have a box.

[NCFC]

If only the government had stockpiled some rice for the leans times ahead.

Oh, hang on a minute....

[billd766]

I noticed in Chumphon no rain for a very long time. Maybe 4 months or so. It was cloudy briefly yesterday and the day before, but not one drop.

It didnt dawn on me until I noticed a small problem with growing some spring onions. But additional watering didnt help too much. It was when I went down the street, and saw what used to be large ponds of water with some type of irrigation system where there was spinning pikes moving the water was completely dry.

....

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

True, but we can shift our habits and building/farming techniques to adapt. Tel Aviv, Israel is a good example of sophisticated metro in the middle of a desert. Las vegas, nevada is another.

"You dont need to learn to love yourself; you just need to UNLEARN all the reasons you reject yourself..." -sent from TV app (Note 2).

Israel has a high standard of education,its people are innovative and can think outside the box,Thailand doesn't even have a box.

That is patently untrue. Thailand does have a box. It is just that it is full of rotten rice at the moment.

[BAYBOY]

I always thought that a drought happened when expected and forecast rain did not eventuate. In th North, North East and Central Thailand rain slows and stops in September/ October and resumes again in March/ April, usually after the Thai New Year in April , and the rainy season then lasts through to October. So if there is no rain expected then you do not have a drought. Simple.

Whet we have now is a shortage of water due to the water management people not planning properly to ensure the water from the rain season is carefully released to give water through the non rain fall months.

So some one has cocked up again, the same as last year.

This beggars belief.

My next door neighbor has about a rai of junk land, nothing growing as food for his family. Just a few scraggy trees and weeds a meter high. Three weeks ago he pumped water all day Saturday and Sunday. Assuming his pump pulled 40 liters a minute equals 2400 liters an hour equals 12 hours pumping equals 28800 liters a day equals 57600 liters for the weekend. He then did it again the following weekend and again last weekend equals 172,800 liters. Each time his land was totally flooded as well as some of ours.

My wife asked why all the water......answer... It is going to be a dry season and I do not want my land to dry out and get cracks!

Not watering anything just stopping the cracks. He recently retired from the Irrigration Dept. after 40 years of employment. No wonder they can not get the water management sorted.

BAYBOY

[lostmebike]

So how's Plod's 350 billion baht flood prevention plan doing?

Amazing aint it?

Not so long back we had the floods. Now we have a drought

Edited March 12, 2014 by lostmebike

[lostmebike]

I noticed in Chumphon no rain for a very long time. Maybe 4 months or so. It was cloudy briefly yesterday and the day before, but not one drop.

It didnt dawn on me until I noticed a small problem with growing some spring onions. But additional watering didnt help too much. It was when I went down the street, and saw what used to be large ponds of water with some type of irrigation system where there was spinning pikes moving the water was completely dry.

....

Nature decides, man's opinion and desires have nothing to do with it.

True, but we can shift our habits and building/farming techniques to adapt. Tel Aviv, Israel is a good example of sophisticated metro in the middle of a desert. Las vegas, nevada is another.

"You dont need to learn to love yourself; you just need to UNLEARN all the reasons you reject yourself..." -sent from TV app (Note 2).

Israel has a high standard of education,its people are innovative and can think outside the box,Thailand doesn't even have a box.

It did have a box but then it was raped and pillaged. Finally, it was stolen

[winstonc]

dont worry they will only waste a few BILLION ltrs over songkran.......... AGAIN, Thailand needs to understand it is not the wet Country it once was, Issan is becoming a desert

here in ubon its drier than cleopatras flip flops..seriously hot and dry..water levels very low..

[ginjag]

dont worry they will only waste a few BILLION ltrs over songkran.......... AGAIN, Thailand needs to understand it is not the wet Country it once was, Issan is becoming a desert

here in ubon its drier than cleopatras flip flops..seriously hot and dry..water levels very low..

But hot and dry here Udon--Mekong 1 meter higher than normal.---SO ??? Ubon Rat dam -water level normal---Korat same. are there no run offs from Mekong ????Khon Khen (ubon rat) DAM ??? Korat. DAM ??? The Mekong runs between Laos/Thai.......north.----------------Laos/Thai N.East-

Where are these pumps from Korea-Thaksin was getting ?? They are used to pump OUT and IN are they not. Is the nut not still in charge that kept the dams high then released the water too late to bring mega floods---I would suggest YES so we have the extreme and he cannot run the department.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Don't understand how Thailand is flooded half the year and in drought the other half. You would have thought they would have figured out a way to manage and save those flood waters for the dry months.

[bangon04]

dont worry they will only waste a few BILLION ltrs over songkran.......... AGAIN, Thailand needs to understand it is not the wet Country it once was, Issan is becoming a desert

If you lived in a desert..wouldn't you enjoy a few days of splashing water around?

[bangon04]

Don't understand how Thailand is flooded half the year and in drought the other half. You would have thought they would have figured out a way to manage and save those flood waters for the dry months.

and who is in charge of overall national water management and forward planning in the Kingdom of Thailand?