Drought crisis worsens in various parts of Thailand

[webfact]

Drought crisis worsens in various parts of Thailand

BANGKOK, 2 July 2015 (NNT)-Water levels in reservoirs in several provinces in Thailand have significantly declined. Many farmers have been forced to forgo rice growing while others may have to abandon their fruit orchards.

In Ratchaburi province, a sign has been put up at Huai Sam Nak Mai Teng reservoir to inform people that the irrigation authority can no longer release water to farming areas in Muang and Pak Tho districts, given there is only 9% of water capacity remaining in the reservoir, which is barely enough for household consumption.

Head of Water Transmission and Maintenance Division 1 Jitsak Anusasanan said this could affect as much as 10,000 rai of farmland in the province.

In Nakhon Ratchasrima, rice farmers in Kok Kruad district have been forced to grow other vegetables instead of rice, which requires more water, to supplement their incomes as there is only 1 million cubic meters of water left in Huai Ban Yang reservoir.

Meanwhile, in Bueng Kan, one rambutan orchard owner, Mr. Chainat Petchantuek, said he would not be able to save his rambutan trees unless it began to rain by mid-July.

-- NNT 2015-07-02

[khwaibah]

You cannot fool mother nature. Thailand is getting it stuck to her again.

[webfact]

RID to ensure water supplies last until next year if drought persists

BANGKOK, 2 July 2015 (NNT) - The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) will only release water for domestic consumption and to prevent seawater intrusion, amid the ongoing drought crisis.

The department’s Water Watch and Monitoring System for Warning Center has revealed that the four major dams, Bhumipol, Sirikit, Kwai Noi and Pasak Cholasit, have a combined 886 million cubic meters of usable water.

An estimated 28 million cubic meters of water is being released into the Chao Phraya River daily, while these dams are being refilled at the rate of 7 million cubic meters per day. The center claimed that there will be enough water until August, which is when the Meteorological Department has forecast more rain.

However, the RID has developed a plan which assures that Thailand will have enough water for consumption until the rainy season next year. Around 1.1 billion cubic meters of water will be saved for domestic consumption and another 1 billion to prevent seawater intrusion.


-- NNT 2015-07-02

[otherstuff1957]

Hmm... 886 million divided by (28 million minus 7 million) equals 42 days of water... if the rains don't come!

[janpharma]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

[jvs]

This is the rainy season,rain will come!!!

[Muirton]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

Wouldn't that be zero since the water returned to earth?

[marine169]

[email protected] who cares

[shirtless]

Lets hope the farmers catch a break as the governments sure as hell aint going to help these poor battlers.

[wabothai]

the rains will start soon, hang in there !

[Sparkles]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

Wouldn't that be zero since the water returned to earth?

Either poor attempt at sarcasm or ill informed ,water is needed for growing which doesn't take part in the centre of town as Songkran water goes down the drains,not to where its needed

People are making light of this but the current drought is a major blow to farmers income and the domino effect of not having enough money to feed their families or send the kids to school.

I guess if it continues and you cant buy your favourite fruit and veges it will start to register how serious the situation is.

[Cabra]

F...ing CLOWN.... <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" data-cke-saved-href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=water&body=who%20care" href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=water&body=who%20care" s"="">

[Daniel Boon]

what about strains of rice that grow in dry conditions?

[Ludwigdd]

The told us there will be lots off rain , when the pless the baffalo one or 2 month ago , so don't worry .

I belive in that 100% .

Mark my words , the rail will come the baffalo,s know . This tradition is thousand off year old .

Now onley July 2 by July 15 all is full off water. Maybe even to much . I start planting my bananas now .

The need a lot off water too.

[kannot]

Wow Thai meteorologist must be psychic they can do forecasts months in advance

[kannot]

what about strains of rice that grow in dry conditions?

yeah "Rice Krispies" just add milk

[kannot]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

Wouldn't that be zero since the water returned to earth?

Either poor attempt at sarcasm or ill informed ,water is needed for growing which doesn't take part in the centre of town as Songkran water goes down the drains,not to where its needed

People are making light of this but the current drought is a major blow to farmers income and the domino effect of not having enough money to feed their families or send the kids to school.

I guess if it continues and you cant buy your favourite fruit and veges it will start to register how serious the situation is.

Of course they could have budgeted for a rainy day.......so to speak, but nope its only the "here and now" that matters

[hgma]

we will see crime on the rise, as a result of destroyed crops as we saw over the last month....theft cuaght on cam, blunt and by young and old.....

Many times thieves give the only reason for their behavior as no more money and thus opportunity, and thus they have no option left.

Question will raise......have they?

Edited July 2, 2015 by hgma

[elgordo38]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

Don't attack tourism it is sacred regardless. We must reach 28 million tourist regardless it is cast in stone. I often wonder how much water 28 million tourists use?

[Ricardo]

One can only trust that this won't affect supplies of water for brewing beer !

[diehard60]

Parts of Nakhon Phanom Provence have not had any rain in a month. My village has only had 3 hours of rain in the last 2 months. We have to pump water from the wells i had dug on the property just so that maybe we can save 50% of our crop this year. It is the worst I have seen in 24 years that I have been here.

[jackanapes]

I think its unbelievable in a country that has so much ground water to be suffering drought conditions and to put it bluntly it shouldn't happen I will state again boreholes and wells are the answer something which should have been done a long time ago but there again this is Thailand its all about money, i feel sorry for the growers but not the orchard owners they shouldn't have any problems fruit trees take moisture from the ground they don't need water every day .

[Muirton]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

Wouldn't that be zero since the water returned to earth?

Either poor attempt at sarcasm or ill informed ,water is needed for growing which doesn't take part in the centre of town as Songkran water goes down the drains,not to where its needed

People are making light of this but the current drought is a major blow to farmers income and the domino effect of not having enough money to feed their families or send the kids to school.

I guess if it continues and you cant buy your favourite fruit and veges it will start to register how serious the situation is.

"Songkran water goes down the drains,not to where its needed". And where does it go once it goes down the drains. I'm stunned by your ignorance. Haven't you heard of gravity?

[Doc46]

we will see crime on the rise, as a result of destroyed crops as we saw over the last month....theft cuaght on cam, blunt and by young and old.....

Many times thieves give the only reason for their behavior as no more money and thus opportunity, and thus they have no option left.

Question will raise......have they?

Cause they have ,,they just don't wanna change,,

[cumgranosalum]

This is the rainy season,rain will come!!!

I think you'll find it's a little bit more involved than that

[cumgranosalum]

...and how many billion cubic meters were lost during Songkran?...

I nominate this post for the most facile on the thread award.

If one just thought for 2 minutes about what the roads looked like after Song Khran in their locale - ..........well? It looks like its been raining for about 4 hours....compare that to the flash flooding that occurs after rain in the town where you live and then think again about how much water is actually used at Song Khran.

Then try and think where it goes?

[MockingJay]

We don't need to listen to nature, nature needs to listen to us!

Edited July 2, 2015 by MockingJay

[bassman]

I think its unbelievable in a country that has so much ground water to be suffering drought conditions and to put it bluntly it shouldn't happen I will state again boreholes and wells are the answer something which should have been done a long time ago but there again this is Thailand its all about money, i feel sorry for the growers but not the orchard owners they shouldn't have any problems fruit trees take moisture from the ground they don't need water every day .

Boreholes are not cost effective for 6 baht a kilo rice. Agree with you 100% that they sure could make a difference on other crops, but other than talk their is not many options in the country yet for "other crops".

[Peterbkk7]

Lets hope the farmers catch a break as the governments sure as hell aint going to help these poor battlers.

well the government will need the money for the multi trillion high speed rail project

[cumgranosalum]

I think its unbelievable in a country that has so much ground water to be suffering drought conditions and to put it bluntly it shouldn't happen I will state again boreholes and wells are the answer something which should have been done a long time ago but there again this is Thailand its all about money, i feel sorry for the growers but not the orchard owners they shouldn't have any problems fruit trees take moisture from the ground they don't need water every day .

Boreholes are not cost effective for 6 baht a kilo rice. Agree with you 100% that they sure could make a difference on other crops, but other than talk their is not many options in the country yet for "other crops".

Extracting ground water is all very "well", except that in Thailand it is largely unregulated and there are no satisfactory limits set, so it is over extracted.

Thailand's water problem is not just national it needs to form a cooperative plan with its neighbours to0 sort this out.

There is plenty of rain but Thailand is unable to retain enough of it and does so in a very haphazard way. they still cling to old concepts of building dams which in most cases cause more problems than they solve.

There are water saving systems - multiple pools for instance that are better for the environment and keep water where it is needed and not where it has to be re-distributed. .... The problem with distribution is that it in general loses over 33% of all the water through such things as leakage, and evaporation....the longer the distance the greater the loss.

these problems are not helped by the RID who suffer from some very archaic theories about water conservation and distribution.

there are other authorities in Thailand that have a more enlightened approach and they should really be given more encouragement to sort out these issues before some serious eco-damge occurs and the yearly drought situation worsens.