Coastal erosion remains critical in Thailand

[webfact]

Coastal erosion remains critical in Thailand
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, July 28 -- Thailand's coastal erosion problem is considered severe in 44 locations in 19 provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, with the destruction resulting from both natural and manmade causes.

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources reports that the erosion occurred along 830 kilometers of Thai coasts and that account for 26 per cent of all the country's coasts.

The problem occurs mainly along the Gulf of Thailand, over a distance of 730 kilometres.

Severe and quick erosion happens in 44 locations in 19 provinces with a combined seaside distance of 169 kilometres.

The main causes are nature and human interaction with the environment, especially construction of large-scale projects, coastal tourism and rampant encroachment on mangrove forests.

The department was working out solutions to protect the Chanthaburi coast at the Laem Sing River estuary in Laem Sing district.

It was studying coastal ecosystems as well as sand, rock and mud beaches, assessing environmental impacts and allowing local people to have their say in providing solutions so that they would be friendly to local communities. (MCOT online news)

[tna]2014-07-28[/tna]

[seajae]

the way they continually change the waterways so they can build estates, farms etc is the problem, they backfill mangrove areas to build them up therefore removing the areas that take away the excess water and stop erosion from waves. Thailand needs to have laws governing the way land is developed and water courses changed, you cannot remove these areas and expect the water not to cause any problems. Make those that change the land pay to have the area brought back to normal, stop[ them simply looking at making money from it, they need to realize that somethings are not meant to be done.

[Ragzilb]

its rising sealevels there are nothing you can do about it :(

[Prbkk]

Yes, the greedy well-connected ripped out half the mangroves in order to set up filthy, destructive, polluting ( but extremely lucrative) shrimp farms.

[jaidam]

Not the most fashionable solution at present, but concrete has a great record in dealing with coastal erosion. Areas of beach encroachment should be safe from erosion worries.

[bangrak]

And the death of the coral reefs is shoved under the carpet... Not so much morons dynamiting the reefs, the reefs died because nobody saw good money in those, instead focussing on deforestation and wild building of resorts and houses, on the beaches and the hills, with huge soil run-offs covering, and killing the coral, together with the water pollution. It's always 'too late' here, and it's always because of blind greed, also for the mangroves, creating new land, and for the coral, protecting the land from the grinding waves. Som-na-nah for the Thais, ASEAN neighbours, like Myanmar f.i., will be more cautious, and in the end plunder 'Thailand''s treasure, the mana from tourists' money, and then only, when it hurts their wallet, will the Thais wake up (probably saving face by giving Farangs the responsibility), and cry loudly, but it will be 'too late'...

[wilcopops]

rampant encroachment on mangrove forests.


I'm constantly amazed and confounded at Thailand's prolonged and unwaivering utter disregard for the natural resources that so much of their economy culture and lifestyle relies on.

It's like a kid systematically smashing up his own toys...... In the end there will be tears!!

[wilcopops]

Not the most fashionable solution at present, but concrete has a great record in dealing with coastal erosion. Areas of beach encroachment should be safe from erosion worries.

The generals will love you!

[brianP]

Like California, the rivers are being cemented and no natural flow of sand to replenish. The mangroves have been eliminated and damaged severely too. Imagine if the gulf had constant large surf like the Pacific, this would be the end of all beaches and just cement drop-offs, such as you will be seeing more of in the future.

[brianP]

Yes, the greedy well-connected ripped out half the mangroves in order to set up filthy, destructive, polluting ( but extremely lucrative) shrimp farms.
Back in 93 and recently, shrimp disease has caused heavy die-offs in the industry, a sign of trouble for large scale shrimp industry. I saw many farms sit idle last year. They build more roads with the fill of the new shrimp farms so they can exploit further areas. Used to be a rare Fish Cat, a bobcat like mammal , but now almost wiped out.

[JimHuaHin]

Not the most fashionable solution at present, but concrete has a great record in dealing with coastal erosion. Areas of beach encroachment should be safe from erosion worries.

 

Umm ... actually no .... most brick and concete walls do not absorb wave energy, they merely transfer the "problem" to a nearby area.   An excellent example of this is the rock wall at Clifton Beach, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, built in about 2010 .. yes, it stopped the erosion at the location, but from 2011 (??) onwards caused increased erosion at Kewarra Beach to the south and Palm Cove to the north, as well as the northern beach at Clifton Beach ... cannot control nature ... yet ....!!!

[belg]

oh no thailand is getting smaller, is it because of all the farangs buying land ?

 

lol

 

[keestha]

Coastal erosion is not only due to human interference. Sea currents are due to change, there are so many factors influencing it, that what will happen is impossible to predict, like a 1 year weather prediction. I spent part of my childhood on an island off the Dutch coast, there was a serious erosion problem at part of the island, which later stopped, and not because of any government measures. 

[wilcopops]

Coastal erosion is not only due to human interference. Sea currents are due to change, there are so many factors influencing it, that what will happen is impossible to predict, like a 1 year weather prediction. I spent part of my childhood on an island off the Dutch coast, there was a serious erosion problem at part of the island, which later stopped, and not because of any government measures. 

 

 

This is a "my cat has 4 legs" argument. everyone knows that there are natural changes in coastline - some can be very dramatic, but development, breakwaters and clearing of mangroves can rapidly have profound and devastating effects on coasts.....this has been demonstrated around the world which is one reason why for instance the development of mangroves in Oz was clamped down on back in the 90s.........

 

prediction IS of course possible if one analyses sea currents tides, estuaries and human activity, it is possible to make commuter models that can predict quite well what will happen.

the problem is that in Thailand there is no requirement to do any kind of ecological investigation before starting a development......any regulations are seldom enforced and frequently "bought" around.

 

Edited July 29, 2014 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

 

Not the most fashionable solution at present, but concrete has a great record in dealing with coastal erosion. Areas of beach encroachment should be safe from erosion worries.

 

Umm ... actually no .... most brick and concete walls do not absorb wave energy, they merely transfer the "problem" to a nearby area.   An excellent example of this is the rock wall at Clifton Beach, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, built in about 2010 .. yes, it stopped the erosion at the location, but from 2011 (??) onwards caused increased erosion at Kewarra Beach to the south and Palm Cove to the north, as well as the northern beach at Clifton Beach ... cannot control nature ... yet ....!!!

 

 

 

Another example at Cairns of coastal damage was the dredging of the river.....which washed away the beach.

 

flow of water over concrete a cause all sorts of problems....speed, lack of sediment etc etc......

 

Edited July 29, 2014 by wilcopops

[Gerryasia]

1.5 billion living in the wasteland that is industrial China...and countless others elsewhere on the planet. 

Thailand will succom to the same coastal demise as all the other beautiful coastline vacation destinations on the planet.