Thai DWR poised to hold World Water Day event, focusing on solutions to drought

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DWR poised to hold World Water Day event, focusing on solutions to drought

BANGKOK, 19 March 2015 (NNT) – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is ready to open an exhibition on the National Water Conservation Week and World Water Day this weekend, with an emphasis to be placed on the tackling of drought problems.

Ahead of the annual observance of World Water Day, which falls on March 22 of every year, Director-General of the DWR Jatuporn Burutpat stated that the water strategic committee chaired by Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya has assigned all water-related agencies to integrate their efforts to draw up a strategy that can tackle problems in upstream, midstream and downstream areas while sending out teams to collect data from each locality.

Given the severe drought situation this year, which has forced up to 27 provinces to be declared disaster zones, Mr Jatuporn said the goals which the government is trying to achieve first and foremost are to ensure sustainable supply of water for consumption and to reduce the number of drought-affected zones in the country, with public involvement to be highlighted. Rehabilitation of forest areas, meanwhile, has been included in a ten-year plan.

Details on the government’s projects concerning water will be featured in the National Water Conservation Week and World Water Day exhibition, which is scheduled to take place at the Royal Paragon Hall at Siam Paragon Shopping Center on March 22 and 23. International organizations, specialists and foreign diplomats are also invited to the event.

-- NNT 2015-03-19

[rasmus5150]

Water Conservation.......... Maybe we should cancel Songkran?

[Daniel Ingalls]

Maybe its just me, am I getting to old for this nonsense. Songkrang to me draws to many people to Chiang Mai to throw water at each other. Some Tourist don't even understand the purpose of this festival. Every year new forms of squirt guns to shoot water in the air, some reaching 10 meters or more. Using water out of the old canals, mixed with any filthy thing from the streets. A toxic waste splashed into the unsuspected face of others! Police have deemed it necessary to ban the sales of alcohol in the area. Mobs of people, join in on the fun splashing water at each other. Some in pickups with large containers filled with water and Ice.

It wasn't to long ago, it was a simple little town where people walked the streets with just small bowls of water and poured it on the shoulders of unsuspected people, chanting,"Sawadee Pee Mai". They don't even do that anymore! It's meaning, has changed into a free-for-all battle for who can throw the most amount of water on the most amount of people. Traffic has become so congested, in some parts of the city streets have been blocked off.

Being near the end of the dry season, water is still critical and Songrong does not help relieved the shortages.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Daniel Ingalls

[LuckyLew]

They should have scheduled this during songkran