Helping solve the water crisis in Thailand

[crazygreg44]

Let me tell you a short story.

When I first came to my girlfriends home, i noticed a large empty field right next to her rice paddies. The soil in this field was rather full of sand, hardly a good top soil, definitley no clay underneath, and on a light slope.

I suggested to her to start planting fruit trees, palm trees and banana. She mentioned there wouldn't be any water but she would try.

I came back 7 months later after the end of the rainy season. She had planted a lot of different stuff as above mentioned. It had grown really well during the rainy season. However, now the 6 dry months start. How could we irrigate the garden ?

I laid down water mains and taps throughout the whole garden, and her sons and she started to water all the trees and bananas every day by hand.

After 5 months i left thailand and came back, again after the rainy season. The garden was in lush, full green ! But in noticed my water system was gone. Why, I asked her, She said, no need. What about the 6 dry months, all the trees will die. No, she said, they will not.

She says, when you give water to the tree, it needs water every other day. When you stop giving water, the tree will learn to take the water from out of the . . . . air !!!! That's what her Grandmother told her to do.

It's been 5 years since, and during EVERY 6 dry months outside the rainy season, NOT ONE drop of water is given to the trees. And they will, all of them, survive through the dry season !!! Without any irrigation !!

I bet your "water management californian style" will not meet much attention by the Thais. They simply say "farang don't know Thailand" A small part of this mindset is probably true !!

Edited January 11, 2015 by crazygreg44

[kannot]

As a start I would suggest to dig and create a small lake in your land although I don't know how big your land is, then you can start thinking how to help Thailand and I doubt if anyone listens to your ideas.

You are not living in Southern California any more.

I don't have land but several friends do and have lots of it up in different parts of Issan.

And your probably right about anyone listening. Although I think it's worth a shot. There is growing awareness here about organics and the environment. Although it's gotta be a tiny fraction of the population.

Been traveling here since 1971 via the USN so I have seen changes. Most not for the better unfortunately. And at the rate SoCal is going, if they don't get snow and or rain very soon there will be no water...

"And your [sic] probably right about anyone listening. "

Especially if you don't speak Thai and have no experience in this part of the world.

I lived in Africa for 25 years and we had a steady stream of drive-by experts who knew it all. Quite often they put together demonstration projects that were unsustainable absent outside financial support and imported parts for equipment. And I mean things at the simplest level like hand pumps for water that became irreparably useless for lack of the most basic inputs. Soon after the "experts" left, things quickly returned to their former state. These sorts of projects earned the AWA (Africa Wins Again) sobriquet.

The Chinese and Cubans tended to get more done since they were accustomed to dealing with fairly rudimentary resources that could be maintained locally, worked alongside the locals (although they were less Kumbaya and chummy than first world do-gooders) and stuck around for awhile to see how things developed.

My all-time favorite "expert" was some sort of fresh faced lad from Scotland who came to share his university acquired agricultural knowledge. I got to pick him up at the airport and as we were driving back past fields and more fields of maize, he asked me "what crop is that then?" He pretty much sealed the deal later when he referred to the vegetable called "rape" that was a common part of the local diet as something they only fed to animals in Europe. Yes, he was a big hit.

The locals here and in Africa may be behind times compared to what's happening in California, but more often than not there is a great deal of method to their apparent madness in a very basic bare-bones & pragmatic way and, until you prove otherwise, there's a good reason why no one will listen to some foreign self-styled expert.

I suggest before you start dispensing your expertise you get a lot of hands-on experience at the most basic level and don't approach problem-solving by reaching for your credit card or visiting an ATM. Start by listening to locals and expressing appreciation for all that you learn. If you don't think you have anything to learn, then stick to visiting the bars and beaches and to posting pointless criticisms about life in Thailand here at TV. You'll fit right in.

Think small scale and think about motivating local participation by example ... and watch out for getting in the way of existing programs whose existence may be tied to well-established indigenous interests that could be connected to traditional patronage from the highest levels.

The locals by me were clueless totally and utterly, so I dug two wells 85metres deep and dug an 8 metre deep 1 rai lake.

Their lakes are about 3 metres deep max and none of them had wells said no water here. Well (no pun) i got 2 one supplies 1000 litres and hour the other 4000 litres an hour I then got it tested and its excellent quality crystal clear with no bacteria and 100% drinkable.

The local supply is intermittent.dirty and disgusting and off for a lot of the time as summer progresses.

Got the lake dug for free they wanted the fill, bores were 180k ish for both I also catch all water run off on the land which easily fills the lake in the wet season, it comes off my hillside 15 rai onto the road, i concreted the verge at the side of the road making a gully and it runs all down the road some 400 metres where I syphon it into my lake via a 18 inch concrete pipe which when full overflows in another lake

Neighbours lakes are dried up end of March my lake is down about a metre by then but any chance shower literally fills it right back up as I catch a huge amount.

The black blob in the hole photo is the Wife for scale

[kannot]

Let me tell you a short story.

When I first came to my girlfriends home, i noticed a large empty field right next to her rice paddies. The soil in this field was rather full of sand, hardly a good top soil, definitley no clay underneath, and on a light slope.

I suggested to her to start planting fruit trees, palm trees and banana. She mentioned there wouldn't be any water but she would try.

I came back 7 months later after the end of the rainy season. She had planted a lot of different stuff as above mentioned. It had grown really well during the rainy season. However, now the 6 dry months start. How could we irrigate the garden ?

I laid down water mains and taps throughout the whole garden, and her sons and she started to water all the trees and bananas every day by hand.

After 5 months i left thailand and came back, again after the rainy season. The garden was in lush, full green ! But in noticed my water system was gone. Why, I asked her, She said, no need. What about the 6 dry months, all the trees will die. No, she said, they will not.

She says, when you give water to the tree, it needs water every other day. When you stop giving water, the tree will learn to take the water from out of the . . . . air !!!! That's what her Grandmother told her to do.

It's been 5 years since, and during EVERY 6 dry months outside the rainy season, NOT ONE drop of water is given to the trees. And they will, all of them, survive through the dry season !!! Without any irrigation !!

I bet your "water management californian style" will not meet much attention by the Thais. They simply say "farang don't know Thailand" A small part of this mindset is probably true !!

so nothing to do with the tree roots actually getting down into deeper soil where the ground is still damp?

[puukao]

first educate on why NOT to burn all their crops or whatever.....then build a massive atmosphere to keep china's pollution from entering Thailand....then tell certain countries not to keep damming up the rivers upstream......then seed those clouds effectively.....then work on all cars exhaust because it's no good for the air.....then do more education....grass roots!!!! luckily i know where aquifers are .....but i cannot tell anyone just yet!!!!

i am 91 and have helped 2 people in this world learn how to conserve water.......my karma will be positive when i pass.... i cannot post any more... i must do, do, do!!!!!

cough...cough.....50-year old face mask not working.......

[kannot]

first educate on why NOT to burn all their crops or whatever.....then build a massive atmosphere to keep china's pollution from entering Thailand....then tell certain countries not to keep damming up the rivers upstream......then seed those clouds effectively.....then work on all cars exhaust because it's no good for the air.....then do more education....grass roots!!!! luckily i know where aquifers are .....but i cannot tell anyone just yet!!!!

i am 91 and have helped 2 people in this world learn how to conserve water.......my karma will be positive when i pass.... i cannot post any more... i must do, do, do!!!!!

cough...cough.....50-year old face mask not working.......

A big problem by me is no one now wants to work in the fields, its getting very hard to find staff at all, they all want to be security guards...............well dont know how they will be eating at the current rate.

[joeyg]

I really liked Yasothon. Very clean and quiet.

[crazygreg44]

Let me tell you a short story.

When I first came to my girlfriends home, i noticed a large empty field right next to her rice paddies. The soil in this field was rather full of sand, hardly a good top soil, definitley no clay underneath, and on a light slope.

I suggested to her to start planting fruit trees, palm trees and banana. She mentioned there wouldn't be any water but she would try.

I came back 7 months later after the end of the rainy season. She had planted a lot of different stuff as above mentioned. It had grown really well during the rainy season. However, now the 6 dry months start. How could we irrigate the garden ?

I laid down water mains and taps throughout the whole garden, and her sons and she started to water all the trees and bananas every day by hand.

After 5 months i left thailand and came back, again after the rainy season. The garden was in lush, full green ! But in noticed my water system was gone. Why, I asked her, She said, no need. What about the 6 dry months, all the trees will die. No, she said, they will not.

She says, when you give water to the tree, it needs water every other day. When you stop giving water, the tree will learn to take the water from out of the . . . . air !!!! That's what her Grandmother told her to do.

It's been 5 years since, and during EVERY 6 dry months outside the rainy season, NOT ONE drop of water is given to the trees. And they will, all of them, survive through the dry season !!! Without any irrigation !!

I bet your "water management californian style" will not meet much attention by the Thais. They simply say "farang don't know Thailand" A small part of this mindset is probably true !!

so nothing to do with the tree roots actually getting down into deeper soil where the ground is still damp?

that's true, yet one has to dig at least 8 feet deep before the soil starts to feel damp . . it's like a sand pit . .

[kannot]

Let me tell you a short story.

When I first came to my girlfriends home, i noticed a large empty field right next to her rice paddies. The soil in this field was rather full of sand, hardly a good top soil, definitley no clay underneath, and on a light slope.

I suggested to her to start planting fruit trees, palm trees and banana. She mentioned there wouldn't be any water but she would try.

I came back 7 months later after the end of the rainy season. She had planted a lot of different stuff as above mentioned. It had grown really well during the rainy season. However, now the 6 dry months start. How could we irrigate the garden ?

I laid down water mains and taps throughout the whole garden, and her sons and she started to water all the trees and bananas every day by hand.

After 5 months i left thailand and came back, again after the rainy season. The garden was in lush, full green ! But in noticed my water system was gone. Why, I asked her, She said, no need. What about the 6 dry months, all the trees will die. No, she said, they will not.

She says, when you give water to the tree, it needs water every other day. When you stop giving water, the tree will learn to take the water from out of the . . . . air !!!! That's what her Grandmother told her to do.

It's been 5 years since, and during EVERY 6 dry months outside the rainy season, NOT ONE drop of water is given to the trees. And they will, all of them, survive through the dry season !!! Without any irrigation !!

I bet your "water management californian style" will not meet much attention by the Thais. They simply say "farang don't know Thailand" A small part of this mindset is probably true !!

so nothing to do with the tree roots actually getting down into deeper soil where the ground is still damp?

that's true, yet one has to dig at least 8 feet deep before the soil starts to feel damp . . it's like a sand pit . .

Some roots go very VERY deep

[Daniel Boon]

Let me tell you a short story.

When I first came to my girlfriends home, i noticed a large empty field right next to her rice paddies. The soil in this field was rather full of sand, hardly a good top soil, definitley no clay underneath, and on a light slope.

I suggested to her to start planting fruit trees, palm trees and banana. She mentioned there wouldn't be any water but she would try.

I came back 7 months later after the end of the rainy season. She had planted a lot of different stuff as above mentioned. It had grown really well during the rainy season. However, now the 6 dry months start. How could we irrigate the garden ?

I laid down water mains and taps throughout the whole garden, and her sons and she started to water all the trees and bananas every day by hand.

After 5 months i left thailand and came back, again after the rainy season. The garden was in lush, full green ! But in noticed my water system was gone. Why, I asked her, She said, no need. What about the 6 dry months, all the trees will die. No, she said, they will not.

She says, when you give water to the tree, it needs water every other day. When you stop giving water, the tree will learn to take the water from out of the . . . . air !!!! That's what her Grandmother told her to do.

It's been 5 years since, and during EVERY 6 dry months outside the rainy season, NOT ONE drop of water is given to the trees. And they will, all of them, survive through the dry season !!! Without any irrigation !!

I bet your "water management californian style" will not meet much attention by the Thais. They simply say "farang don't know Thailand" A small part of this mindset is probably true !!

In point of fact, the water exchange by trees acts as large air-conditioners, that is why it is sheer madness to cut down trees in Amazon and throughout Asia for palm oil ... it extensive tree planting in cities took place, they would help reduce temperatures in cities too

Edited January 12, 2015 by Daniel Boon

[joeyg]

Hummmm been a certified master gardener for many years. No irrigation needed for fruit trees in Thailand! Who knew?!

In California this is what happens when there's no irrigation in orchards...

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=pictures+of+orchards+dying+in+california+drought&es_sm=119&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Eaq0VIGQDYu4uATsm4DQDw&ved=0CB0QsAQ&biw=957&bih=522

[kannot]

Hummmm been a certified master gardener for many years. No irrigation needed for fruit trees in Thailand! Who knew?!

In California this is what happens when there's no irrigation in orchards...

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=pictures+of+orchards+dying+in+california+drought&es_sm=119&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Eaq0VIGQDYu4uATsm4DQDw&ved=0CB0QsAQ&biw=957&bih=522

Thai tree different dont u know

[Daniel Boon]

humidity comparatives

California: http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/California/humidity-annual.php

Thailand: http://www.weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Humidity-perc,Bangkok,Thailand

clearly, trees / vegetation, are better able to utilize air borne moisture because there is more of it

[joeyg]

Irrigation is just as essential here if not more...

http://www.itfnet.org/v1/2014/03/thailand-drought-affects-durian-growers-in-the-south/

http://kasetsartjournal.ku.ac.th/kuj_files/2012/A1203061607499880.pdf

http://www.academia.edu/5000793/Tropical_Fruit_Tree_Species_and_Climate_Change_Phenological_Responses_to_Temperature_and_Rainfall_A_Case_Study_of_Mango

Oh well you get the idea irrigation is needed...