Drought in Thailand tipped to drag on till mid-2016

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DRY SEASON
Drought tipped to drag on till mid-2016
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation



Dams near record lows, farmers told to look for jobs

BANGKOK: -- DROUGHT will be more severe and could drag on until at least next May, water experts have warned.

They have advised farmers to adopt new farming styles or look for jobs as a way to avoid loss from the dry conditions in the near future.

Discussing the drought at a forum at Kasetsart University, they said losses in the rice-producing sector could top Bt1 billion after three bad seasons in a row. The experts suggested farmers not rely on irrigation water and adjust their farming activities to respond to the drought challenges.

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University, Bancha Kwanyuen, said calculations from the Royal Irrigation Department revealed that water in the four major dams in the Chao Phraya River Basin was at its lowest level on record.

"Since the dams were built, this is the first time we have seen such a serious water shortage problem. We only have 2,589 million cubic metres of available water in the four major dams," Bancha said.

Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics Lersak Rewtarkulpaiboon said this lowest water storage on record was due to a natural factor two years in a row in which we received a much lower than average rain; and man-made factors, such as water mismanagement and higher water demand.

"Last November we had 5,000 million cubic metres of available water in four major dams. So last dry season we faced a water shortage problem, but given the unusually dry rainy season this year, we hoped that we could store up to 3,600 million cubic metres of available water in October. [but] as we speak, in mid-September, we still need more than 1,000 million cubic metres of water," Lersak said.

"We definitely will endure a more serious drought in the upcoming dry season and therefore we have no water left for rice production," he said.

With the drought expected to get worse, a water management expert from the Department of Water Resource Engineering at Kasetsart University, Suwatana Chittaladakorn, admitted there was nothing that could be done to improve the drought situation now only promote a shift in farming methods and a water saving campaign.

"Farmers in the irrigation zone will be the group most affected by the drought because they just plant the crops and wait for the irrigation water to come unlike the farmers outside the irrigation zone, who know better how to adjust their farming patterns to the drought," Suwatana stated.

He suggested farmers should change to crops that need less water, or adopt poly-culture farming, raise animals or find another career.

For farmers outside the irrigation zone, he advised them to create a water supply such as digging wells or ponds, cultivating short-life plants, halting farming if there was no water, or change to a job.

"The farmers need to be more flexible to the uneven weather pattern due to climate change. We will face drought and flood more frequently in the near future," he said.

Suwatana admitted compensation for farmers and the market for the new crop were still not guaranteed by the government.

He feared a water conservation campaign for people in urban areas would not be very successful, as people in the city were used to easy access to water.

"Every year more than 1,000 cubic metres of water are used to produce tap water for the people in Bangkok.

"It would be helpful if everyone used less water and did not expect the farmers to handle the burden for us," he said.

DRYING UP: THE RECORD

Water level in four major dams as of September 22:

BHUMIBOL

Total available water: 783 cubic metres (8 per cent)

Inflow: 30.17 cubic metres

Outflow: 1.5 cubic metres

SIRIKIT

Total available water: 1,400 cubic metres (21 per cent)

Inflow: 19.78 cubic metres

Outflow: 4 cubic metres

KHWAE NOI BAMRUNGDAN

Total available water: 235 cubic metres (26 per cent)

Inflow: 3.08 cubic metres

Outflow: 0.52 cubic metres

PASAK JOLASID

Total available water: 171 cubic metres (18 per cent)

Inflow: 13.29 cubic metres

Outflow: 0.00 cubic metres

TOTAL

Total available water: 2,589 cubic metres (14 per cent)

Inflow: 66.32 cubic metres

Outflow: 6.02 cubic metres

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Drought-tipped-to-drag-on-till-mid-2016-30269348.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-23

[Oziex1]

To the farmers, just adopt new farming styles. OK off you go then, sort it out for yourselves. There's a good little farmer.

[zappalot]

I know a group which tried to teach new rice planting technics to thai farmers already - of course without success. The approached farmers refused any change and want to keep up with their stupid tradition in wasting water, even if a change would result in many advantages for them...

Anyway it seems climate change force them now to learn or to give up...

It would have only advantages to them and farmers from other SEA countries proof that it works...

https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/new-irrigation-technique-can-ease-drought-effects-rice-farmers#.VgIBu9-qpBc

[whatproblem]

So they are expecting heavy rains in May next year

[godden]

Water on the brain.

[Srikcir]

"They have advised farmers to ... look for jobs as a way to avoid loss"

What an ingenious administration.

[honoluludave]

1st thing they need to do to conserve water is to cancel songkran.

[billd766]

1st thing they need to do to conserve water is to cancel songkran.

Actually they need to cancel Songkran as it is celebrated now and go back to celebrating it the old respectful family way.

If they do that however there will be millions on whining tourists and whining Thais as well.

Given the choice of celebrating Songkran the usual way and having no water I know which way I have chosen.

IMHO I think that the drought will go on for most of next year and it will be 2017 before it shows any real improvement.

Edited September 23, 2015 by billd766

[jaywalker]

I know a group which tried to teach new rice planting technics to thai farmers already - of course without success. The approached farmers refused any change and want to keep up with their stupid tradition in wasting water, even if a change would result in many advantages for them...

Anyway it seems climate change force them now to learn or to give up...

It would have only advantages to them and farmers from other SEA countries proof that it works...

https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/new-irrigation-technique-can-ease-drought-effects-rice-farmers#.VgIBu9-qpBc

I gave your post a LIKE but disagree w/ the climate change malarkey.

I have shown many Thai's that I worked with, ways to do things 10 times more efficiently.

They just grin at me & keep on doing the same thing.

------------------------

Fricking air tools sitting right next to the guy, but he does it by hand.

I once needed a certain tool (MY toolbox was organized).

4 Thai guys went to digging & couldn't find a 6 inch. 3/8th drive extension in their toolboxes.

I dropped my air ratchet & had what I needed in 3 seconds flat.

They actually laughed at me......."HAHAHA! Farang!".

To this day I fail to see the humor in that.

Edited September 23, 2015 by jaywalker

[MaxLee]

Hey, you do called water experts of Thailand, you know what season it is now?????

Look out of the window,....

Edited September 23, 2015 by MaxLee

[jaywalker]

1st thing they need to do to conserve water is to cancel songkran.

Actually they need to cancel Songkran as it is celebrated now and go back to celebrating it the old respectful family way.

If they do that however there will be millions on whining tourists and whining Thais as well.

Given the choice of celebrating Songkran the usual way and having no water I know which way I have chosen.

IMHO I think that the drought will go on for most of next year and it will be 2017 before it shows any real improvement.

On my way to work one day in Pattaya towards the last day(s) of Songkran & saw some retarded farang tourists trying to throw water on cars at the intersection of Threpprasit & Sukh. in Pattaya.

It was raining that day like a cow pissing on a flat rock too.

Idiots.

Edited September 23, 2015 by jaywalker

[elgordo38]

To the farmers, just adopt new farming styles. OK off you go then, sort it out for yourselves. There's a good little farmer.

Quote He feared a water conservation campaign for people in urban areas would not be very successful, as people in the city were used to easy access to water. unquote in other words throwing up his hands in defeat.

Teaching water conservation should have started years ago. To late now. They are now throwing farmers that depend on irrigation water under the bus. The farmers/lemmings have followed successive governments who have done little to improve existing water capacity i.e. dredging existing dams to deepen them and built catch basins to store more water. More rice farming plus more tourism plus more out of control condo building equals a huge increase in water demand. I know that projecting into the future is foreign here but that is what should have been done. Lesson learned never take Mother Nature for granted.

[brain150]

... and I thought they are so good at making it rain ?

[Toany]

Make more dams to store the rain that has not come??

[farangmick]

So the farmers, who for generations have been denied any education beyond basic literacy and numeracy, are suddenly expected to behave as if they had degrees from a top agricultural college! The elite don't really care, because eventually they will own all the land, and the farmers will be 300 baht/day labourers.

(I am not a red agitator. All my life in England was conservative with big and small C, but Thailand!)

[Prbkk]

In Bangkok one sees neigbours' cars being washed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Never a bucket and sponge but hundreds of litres from a hose ( and left running the whole time).

Thailand's next big fight might well be about access to water rather than the usual politics.

[hhinhh]

I know a group which tried to teach new rice planting technics to thai farmers already - of course without success. The approached farmers refused any change and want to keep up with their stupid tradition in wasting water, even if a change would result in many advantages for them...

Anyway it seems climate change force them now to learn or to give up...

It would have only advantages to them and farmers from other SEA countries proof that it works...

https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/new-irrigation-technique-can-ease-drought-effects-rice-farmers#.VgIBu9-qpBc

If it is little rain it is the climate change, if it is more rain than usually it is the climate change. This year is el nino year which means less rain in summer, this happened for hundred of year. Nobody can expect a climate always in average ranges. But with a good management such deviation from average can be handled.

[Gonsalviz]

Just in time for next years rainy season.

[Stargeezr]

What happened to the rain water that fell during the last storm?

Did the water not fall north of Bangkok in the Dam areas?

I would imagine that the water levels must be a bit higher in

the dams near and south of Hua Hin and that area.

Too bad the northern dams let out too much water earlier in the

year. Oh, people did not know about that?

[billd766]

Make more dams to store the rain that has not come??

It takes much much longer to find a place for a dam, survey it and do the EIA, get the funds, buy the land, relocate the people etc and build it than it does to wait for the rain.

To buid a medium sized dam will take at least 7 years I think.

[billd766]

In Bangkok one sees neigbours' cars being washed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Never a bucket and sponge but hundreds of litres from a hose ( and left running the whole time).

Thailand's next big fight might well be about access to water rather than the usual politics.

My pickup truck gets washed 2 or 3 times a year if I remember.

[dageurreotype]

Not a drop of rain for the first THREE months here on Phuket and pissing down practically every damn day since. mind you, they don't grow rice here. Maybe can shunt some of Phuket's water upstream with Noppadope's boats

[farangmick]

In Bangkok one sees neigbours' cars being washed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Never a bucket and sponge but hundreds of litres from a hose ( and left running the whole time).

Thailand's next big fight might well be about access to water rather than the usual politics.

My pickup truck gets washed 2 or 3 times a year if I remember.

Yes. But have to make the effort on the odd occasion we go to Bangkok, wife insists. Last time we went in a dirty truck, got as far as Rangsit and suddenly felt like I was Jed Clampett. All that was missing was my wife's mother in the back on a rocking chair.