Flood expert warns of next year's drought crisis

[webfact]

Flood expert warns of next year's drought crisis

SURAT THANI, 8 October 2014 (NNT) – Hydro-Agro Informatics Institute chief Dr. Royal Chitradon has warned that a severe drought is set to follow this year’s floods and urged members of the public to conserve water for future use.

Dr. Royal told the press after a meeting with Surat Thani provincial units over the ongoing floods in the South, saying that the floods will subside this month and a flood crisis will not occur this year.

However, he warned that starting January next year onwards, Thailand will be gripped by a drought triggered by an early onset of the El Nino phenomenon.

Relevant agencies and members of the public have been urged to prepare sufficient amount of water supply to cope with the drought.

Currently, water levels in Surat Thani and other nearby provinces are rising and nearly 1,400 people are affected by the deluge. Residents living in flood-prone areas are also told to brace for more flash floods, mudslides, and heavy rains this month. Rescue teams have been instructed to be on stand-by for any possible emergencies.


-- NNT 2014-10-08

[ExPratt]

Isnt severe floods followed by severe droughts , natures way of evening things out. If they could manage the floods properly there wouldn't be any droughts

[ratcatcher]

Well, there it is then. On Royal authority. Conserve water, cancel Songkran.

[JetsetBkk]

urged members of the public to conserve water for future use

I haven't got a tank big enough for a whole year.

[Pattaya46]

We are in full rainy season and the 2 main reservoirs of Pattaya are at the lower I saw in many years! No doubt that 2015 will see huge water problems there. The many new condominium will not help on this problem.

[chainarong]

It would be recalcitrant of me to ask the pertinent question, but I will anyway , why with such a high rainfall has Thailand got water storage problems, are there dams situated in key water catchment area's or are they blocking off river water ways.

[slapout]

I have observed little if any real conservation education, practices, suggestions, etc in the every day living of the general population, much less several months in advance. If the water catchment system in given areas does not have enough water for irrigation of crops and to supply drinking water to the public, the irrigation gates need to be closed and plans made to handle the resulting plight of the farmers, fields, livestock, etc.

Its no secret on how long it takes run off rainfall from upstream to reach the areas downstream, average yearly rainfall, this years etc. The biggest problem is the division of the entire water diswbursment, allotment, release, concainment (incompitent decisions/people) etc to several different government departments who refuse to cooperate with each otherr and make decisions by what is in it for them personally. Its been called corruption, in the past, by those affected most I doubt if they have come up with a new name.

[MichaelJohn]

I live next to a lake and last year the water was 20m away.

This year I can't see it ......... drought already here/

[MJP]

Think we'll probably lose a big proportion of the plantations this year, just as the rubber on the main plots was starting to tap. Gutted. Never rains but it pours.

[ratcatcher]

urged members of the public to conserve water for future use

I haven't got a tank big enough for a whole year.

Send a nice polite request to Prime Minister Prayuth. He has access to many big tanks and there may be one with your name on it. Good luck, and don't forget "Tank you tree times".

[Chris Lawrence]

Why not build a dam or implement a water mitigation program?

[robblok]

Why not build a dam or implement a water mitigation program?

In previous years the dams were ok (not 2011 then they were mismanaged) so if this happens again they should think of better water catchment area's. But even here in BKK i have seen less rain as usual. This month is the first month i see the rains i remember.

I just hope that ordinary people don't have to suffer for the farmers over-planting. Water for irrigation should not cut in the normal water supplies of drinking and showering water of the general populace.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I think the problem can be summed up in the headline itself "Flood expert warns of next year's drought crisis"

Perhaps if they had flood experts working on the flooding issues and drought experts working on the drought issues..........I'm just sayin

[sean in udon]

I think the problem can be summed up in the headline itself "Flood expert warns of next year's drought crisis"

Perhaps if they had flood experts working on the flooding issues and drought experts working on the drought issues..........I'm just sayin

The irony wasn't lost on me either