Meeting held to fight expected severe drought during the next dry season



BANGKOK: -- The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry and the Interior Ministry are holding a video conference today to lay down details of the 4-billion-baht relief package to governors of provinces which are expected to be hit by drought during the dry season.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya said yesterday that provincial governors are key mechanism in implementing the drought relief package.

Relief package consists of eight measures and they are set to be implemented from November this year until April next year.

Gen Chatchai said he expected today’s session will help improve understanding of governors about the measures and help mitigate impacts of drought on farmers.

After today’s session, governors are also expected to be able to provide updates on water situation to farmers who are set to begin their off season rice planting from November 1 this year, he added.

The drought relief measures focus on helping farmers in 22 Chao Phraya River basin provinces and those living on drought prone area in 55 other provinces.

Some 330,000 farmer households in the 22 Chao Phraya River basin provinces are expected to be hit by drought during the dry season which starts from early November.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/meeting-held-to-fight-expected-severe-drought-during-the-next-dry-season


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-08

The drought relief measures focus on helping farmers in 22 Chao Phraya River basin provinces and those living on drought prone area in 55 other provinces.

So basically, the whole of Thailand!

After today’s session, governors are also expected to be able to provide updates on water situation to farmers who are set to begin their off season rice planting from November 1 this year, he added.

I thought farmers were told not to plant off-season rice?

if a third of the population don't have potable drinking during the dry season.

Perhaps learning how to channel and save rain runoff would be a start to drought management. Just saying like . . .

Absolutely pelted down in Udon Thani province last night and this morning, apparently a load more to come to over the next few days. Hopefully the Central region got some of it.

4 billion baht relief package?

Surely they could simply start now by banning the flushing down of drives on a daily basis, banning the use of sprinklers often on continually in some places,and other over excessive uses of water.

Introduce and utilise stiff financial penalties for offenders. Instead of having to put 4 billion in the "tea" system they could actually raise money by enforcing.

But TIT, unlikely to happen,at least not until the situation has become desperate.

A meeting, right that will solve matters

After the drought this year, climatologists prudently expect floods for next year.