Thai govt seeks solutions to torrid drought

[webfact]

DROUGHT
Govt seeks solutions to torrid drought
Erich Parpart
The Nation



500 groundwater wells to counter water crisis

BANGKOK: -- A SERIES of measures will be adopted to ensure that the country has enough water resources at least until April next year, including a provision for 500 groundwater wells in drought-hit provinces.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday chaired a meeting of economic ministers that also approved four urgent measures to cope with the drought.

These measures include a further delay in the rice crop to July or August, a switch to crops that consume less water, a switch to multiple crops and a debt payment suspension for farmers in affected areas.

By the middle of July, 500 additional groundwater wells are expected to be operational in drought-hit provinces, while the Irrigation Department will lessen the release of fresh water for farmland by five million cubic metres per day to save inventory.

About 3.44 million rai of farmland in the central and other regions would be affected, but there would be some relief from groundwater supply.

The focus is on rice farmers in 22 provinces near the Chao Phraya River basin.

For example, an area of around 850,000 rai that has already started off-season farming is expected to have a shortage of water due to the El Nino phenomenon following a lack of rainfall in the central region.

A budget of Bt84 million is earmarked for the groundwater project covering equipment and manpower, including the 2,000 local farmers asked to delay their off-season farming to the beginning of July, along with the procurements of 80 water pumps and 60 well-drilling machines.

"What we have to do first is to save the rice and the farmers. We cannot let them die," said Prayut, adding that the money for the 500 wells would be allocated from the 2016 fiscal budget.

The government earlier urged rice farmers to delay their off-season farming to the beginning of July instead of June because of the shortage of water.

Overall, there is around 7.45 million rai of rice farmland near the Chao Phraya River basin, of which around 3.44 million started farming at the beginning of June - but the amount of water left in major irrigation dams is not enough to support them all.

The remaining 3.45 million rai will have to wait until the rainwater comes.

Around 850,000 rai is expected to face a shortage of water because it is an area higher than sea level when compared to areas next to the river or other areas closer to the dams in the central region.

The artesian wells will be built near areas where water is still expected to be in short supply and they could service only around 100,000-130,000 rai.

As a result, farmers in the areas will be encouraged to grow other crops that require less water, such as corn and green peas.

Petipong Pungbun Na Ayudhya, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the corn could be sold to feed domesticated animals. The green-peas could be sold to retail and export operators who claim there is currently a demand for around 100,000 tonnes of green peas. The ministry has a supply of seeds that farmers could purchase.

"The crop switch programme is expected to be finalised in two weeks when the rain is expected to fall. The farmers will then know what to do this season," he said.

Interior Minister General Anupong Paojinda has reassured that the water shortage will not affect supplies for consumption and other purposes.

The Thai Meteorological Department expects the shortage of rain to gradually recover from around a deficit of 18-20 per cent in July, to 10 and 8 per cent in August and September respectively - before returning to the normal rainfall average in October.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-seeks-solutions-to-torrid-drought-30263053.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-25

[passiflora]

it is nevertheless so obvious and easy, you just have to pray, pay hommage to the triple gem; and eventually go to a fortune teller

Edited June 25, 2015 by passiflora

[halloween]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

[Srikcir]

According to deputy government spokesman Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd, “since March 1 [2015], more than 2,728 flights had been flown [by the Department of Royal Artificial Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation] to try to enhance artificial rain (also known as cloud seeding) and over 92 per cent of flights were said to have caused rain.”

ADD MORE FLIGHTS?

Edited June 25, 2015 by Srikcir

[bamnutsak]

"over 92 per cent of flights were said to have caused rain"

Unfortunately, said rain fell in other parts of the world.

[passiflora]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

all Fabaceae ( family including pea) have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air on nodules on the roots and return it to the earth, that is called green manure

So yes, there are undeniable benefits

Edited June 25, 2015 by passiflora

[eliotness]

Crop rotation has been proved to benefit soils and crop yields worldwide, but I suspect the tropical climate and potential markets limits the choices of alternative crops available. This has been raised by the government several times over the last few months but I'm still waiting for a list of viable crops region by region with what support farmers can expect. Unfortunately most farms around here are less than 100 rai, so the cost of changing crops (e.g. might need to alter the drainage characteristics of the rice paddies) might make changes uneconomic. However we are a one crop a year area so the current lack of water will just delay planting a few weeks. I suspect it's only the 3 & 4 crops p.a. farms that are a problem and I can't see alternative crops producing the regular income their intensive rice production currently gives them.

[jackanapes]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

[Tonawatchee]

In 2011, wasn't cloud seeding done in several parts of the country? That was the year the floods flowed off Esan and headed down to Bangkok.

[halloween]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Ahh, an expert. So what will the long term effects be of hundreds of boreholes pumping out thousands of litres per day?

[seajae]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

aussie farmers have been using peas as a green crop for years to improve the soil quality, turned back into the ground it increases nitrogen in the soil making it a lot healthier for the following crop. As thais refuse to use any method of soil improvement except sh*tloads of fertilizer this would make it a hell of a lot better and increase crop success but again, it requires them to do something new which they have a major problem with.

[chainarong]

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance comes to mind , its not the lack of rain fall, it is the lack of dams for the population pull on the supply, at one time we had the Shinawatra flood mitigation programme in action , well talked about any way , so Thailand has flooding , it then has a few years of less than usual rain fall and there is big problems , not enough has been done and no amount of quick fix ground water supply is going to help, as this needs topping up by , dare I say it, rain, then when you have lowered the water table, you get salt infected ground and then you are in big trouble and unable to grow crops. I rest my case.

[chainarong]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

aussie farmers have been using peas as a green crop for years to improve the soil quality, turned back into the ground it increases nitrogen in the soil making it a lot healthier for the following crop. As thais refuse to use any method of soil improvement except sh*tloads of fertilizer this would make it a hell of a lot better and increase crop success but again, it requires them to do something new which they have a major problem with.

Aussie farmers because of the harsh dry climate are recognized ( Some will disagree) as the best in the world at land management , but lets remember if they had the same rain fall as Thailand gets at the lower end of the scale , they'd be over the moon with mirth.

[FireMedic]

Whenever there is such a problem with flooding and drought when the waterfall is pretty much consistent, then it is a planning to be prepared problem. Not a nature problem.

[Muirton]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Ahh, an expert. So what will the long term effects be of hundreds of boreholes pumping out thousands of litres per day?

I didn't think there was a person on earth so ignorant as to think wells and boreholes today do anything but assure an ever worse drought down the road. But apparently there is at least one.

[eliotness]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Ahh, an expert. So what will the long term effects be of hundreds of boreholes pumping out thousands of litres per day?

I didn't think there was a person on earth so ignorant as to think wells and boreholes today do anything but assure an ever worse drought down the road. But apparently there is at least one.

The extensive use boreholes to pump out groundwater is a long-term disaster. Sink-holes appear in the most troublesome of places, some trees will be affected by the drop in the water-table, it can take hundreds, sometimes thousands of years to replace groundwater levels. The use of groundwater in agricultural production in a country like Thailand, with monsoon type rains, should only be considered as a short-term fix in dire circumstances. Someone not being able to plant their 3rd or 4th rice crop I do not consider as "dire circumstances". Surface water management is/has been attempted but has failed to reach the required standard. Someone should loose their job for such gross mismanagement.

[Ulic]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Bore holes are a last chance last resort solution. For drinking and sanitation

purposes. Certainly not agriculture and industry. Draining water tables

raising salt contamination, depletion of a limited resource which in many

places will never be replaced. A proper water management plan with

small dams and catchments upstream, excavate reservoirs now while

they are dry and empty so they hold more, make them more efficient.

Thailand is in a recession, spend a little on needed infrastructure

improvement. This is what will help farmers so they can grow multiple

rice crops in a staged manner not a stupid rice subsidy scheme.

[connda]

Errrrr, water?

[connda]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Ahh, an expert. So what will the long term effects be of hundreds of boreholes pumping out thousands of litres per day?

I didn't think there was a person on earth so ignorant as to think wells and boreholes today do anything but assure an ever worse drought down the road. But apparently there is at least one.

The extensive use boreholes to pump out groundwater is a long-term disaster. Sink-holes appear in the most troublesome of places, some trees will be affected by the drop in the water-table, it can take hundreds, sometimes thousands of years to replace groundwater levels. The use of groundwater in agricultural production in a country like Thailand, with monsoon type rains, should only be considered as a short-term fix in dire circumstances. Someone not being able to plant their 3rd or 4th rice crop I do not consider as "dire circumstances". Surface water management is/has been attempted but has failed to reach the required standard. Someone should loose their job for such gross mismanagement.

You think that pumping out water is a disaster. Just think of all the <deleted> that they pump in during fracking - talk about a long-term disaster. Well, now that the TPP is on the fast-track, maybe Japan can export Fukashima nuclear waste to North Dakota to be used a fracking slurry -- heck, out of sight, out of mind. (I guess we shouldn't give the lunatics in charge of the asylum ideas, now should we). lol

[toybits]

The answer to this prayer is to light up more Bang Fai rockets. Many many rockets. I hope they don't forget to announce location and date so hundreds of thousands of tourists can join in on the spectacle.

[Jonmarleesco]

'Govt seeks solutions to torrid drought' If there's a drought, it's very dry, so either sex has got in the way, or someone's getting a little too excitable with his adverbs.

[ratcatcher]

'Govt seeks solutions to torrid drought' If there's a drought, it's very dry, so either sex has got in the way, or someone's getting a little too excitable with his adverbs.

tor·rid

adj. tor·rid·er, tor·rid·est

1.

a. Parched with the heat of the sun; intensely hot: a torrid afternoon.

b. Scorching; burning: the torrid noonday sun.

2. Passionate; ardent: a torrid love scene.

3. Hurried; rapid: set a torrid pace; torrid economic growth.

I think his use of the word was appropriate since it is an adjective describing the drought conditions in some areas.

Here endeth the lesson.

[willyumiii]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

Legumes are nitrogen fixing plants ( they add nitrogen to the soil). They can rejuvenate depleted soils and decrease the need for chemical fertilizers.

They require far less irrigation than rice.

This is a practical plan.

Someone is thinking.

[willyumiii]

Planning ahead in Thailand..a difficult concept to sell here.

Constructing reservoirs to retain the flood waters that run down to Bangkok and out to the gulf every year on non productive land would provide the water needed for agricultural irrigation every year.

They would also solve flooding problems if done correctly.

Reservoirs have added economical value as well, like recreation.

Why not?

[HenryB]

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/02/22/he-arrived-skeptic-left-believer-power-and-wisdom-hopi-rain-dance-99005

About 10 years ago I used to represent Hopi Rain dancers in America I do not now as I am retired

Do I need a work permit to talk about how good they are and maybe for a fee they will do a rain dancer to get rain in Thailand

I think they can dance in America and it might get rain as it will be cheaper than flying them to Thailand

They do not work cheap as they are collecting many benefits in America

[eliotness]

at last something is being done I advocated wells and boreholes quite some time ago and I am glad this is being put into operation great stuff.

Ahh, an expert. So what will the long term effects be of hundreds of boreholes pumping out thousands of litres per day?

I didn't think there was a person on earth so ignorant as to think wells and boreholes today do anything but assure an ever worse drought down the road. But apparently there is at least one.

The extensive use boreholes to pump out groundwater is a long-term disaster. Sink-holes appear in the most troublesome of places, some trees will be affected by the drop in the water-table, it can take hundreds, sometimes thousands of years to replace groundwater levels. The use of groundwater in agricultural production in a country like Thailand, with monsoon type rains, should only be considered as a short-term fix in dire circumstances. Someone not being able to plant their 3rd or 4th rice crop I do not consider as "dire circumstances". Surface water management is/has been attempted but has failed to reach the required standard. Someone should loose their job for such gross mismanagement.

You think that pumping out water is a disaster. Just think of all the <deleted> that they pump in during fracking - talk about a long-term disaster. Well, now that the TPP is on the fast-track, maybe Japan can export Fukashima nuclear waste to North Dakota to be used a fracking slurry -- heck, out of sight, out of mind. (I guess we shouldn't give the lunatics in charge of the asylum ideas, now should we). lol

I'm sorry you misunderstood what I said. I meant longterm pumping is a disaster. I never mentioned fracking, which is a totally different subject. As for nuclear waste, invite me for a few beers and I could talk first-hand about that problem for hours on end, which, thank God, does not affect Thailand. Groundwater is a very valuable resource and if managed correctly can benefit mankind for eternity, but it can so easily be misused and abused.

[fvw53]

In Belgium the capital Brussels is protected from drought by "manneken pis" statue which attracts everyday hundred of worshippers

[jackanapes]

I am glad to see something is being done about the drought as I have said on numerous occasions boreholes and ground water wells are a necessity and now it has begun it has eased my troubled mind .

[jackanapes]

in reply to eliot ness I am neither ignorant or a fool I think you are a pompous prig to presume so I am not concerned what will happen in 20 or 30 years from now because I will no longer be on this planet ,the present situation is very dire and it needs a quick fix and at the moment ground water wells are the answer .

[Jay Sata]

Planting peas (a legume) could have soil quality benefits (??)

aussie farmers have been using peas as a green crop for years to improve the soil quality, turned back into the ground it increases nitrogen in the soil making it a lot healthier for the following crop. As thais refuse to use any method of soil improvement except sh*tloads of fertilizer this would make it a hell of a lot better and increase crop success but again, it requires them to do something new which they have a major problem with.

You seem to forget Thai's know it all and dont need adice from foreigners.