Plan worked out to prevent fighting over water during prolonged drought in Thailand

[webfact]

Plan worked out to prevent fighting over water during prolonged drought



BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Interior has mapped out a comprehensive plan to prevent fighting over water in anticipation of the quick arrival of drought which is likely to last longer and more serious than it was in previous years.

Interior permanent secretary Krisda Boonrath said that the plan cover preventive measures and measures to solve problems and to help the affected people.

For the sake of peace and order, he said that officials would be sent to look for areas potentially vulnerable to fight over water. Later on, officials will be dispatched to explain to the villagers in the high-risk areas about the water situations and the need to share the use of water.

Mr Krisda explained that agreements on how to share water would be worked out among people in the risk areas with the help of officials to ensure fair distribution of water between those living upstream and downstream.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/plan-worked-out-to-prevent-fighting-over-water-during-prolonged-drought


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-08

[doremifasol]

And the risk areas would be..........

the drought is likely to last longer......... How long?

I know Mr. Google is there to help me with the search but

then I am thinking........... what is the point of me reading the news on TV?

[Wilsonandson]

And the risk areas would be..........

the drought is likely to last longer......... How long?

I know Mr. Google is there to help me with the search but

then I am thinking........... what is the point of me reading the news on TV?

Obviously you weren't in Thailand during the great flood of 2011 or you would take back that presumption.

[Thailand]

It was obvious a drought was coming this year with the lack of rainfall during 2015,complete mismanagement when preservation and restrictions should have been in place at least 3 months ago.

Local authorities should have already been restricting usage,hoses etc but nothing is happening. Yet another wasted opportunity for the ptb to actually have achieved something more than 80 baht lottery tickets.

[thesetat2013]

It was obvious a drought was coming this year with the lack of rainfall during 2015,complete mismanagement when preservation and restrictions should have been in place at least 3 months ago.

Local authorities should have already been restricting usage,hoses etc but nothing is happening. Yet another wasted opportunity for the ptb to actually have achieved something more than 80 baht lottery tickets.

3 months hell! It should have been in place years ago. This is not a new problem for them. It is just getting worse because farmers grow many off season crops as well and water management is not on a priority to a farmer.

[upena]

Details of the plan are as follows:

Bangkok gets water.

The rest of you don't.

[robblok]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

[soalbundy]

Aren't we supposed to be getting the benefits of La Nina after the drought causing El Nino ? i read that in the middle of this year La Nina should cause massive rainfall in Asia,Australia, California etc

[Searat7]

Still no mention of Songkran.......which uses a tremendous amount of water......this is really a no brainer although going dry for a year would be very unpopular with Thai people and might reduce tourism.

[soalbundy]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

I think they use 40 times more water than you so you can eat

[lujanit]

Aren't we supposed to be getting the benefits of La Nina after the drought causing El Nino ? i read that in the middle of this year La Nina should cause massive rainfall in Asia,Australia, California etc

Australia is already showing signs of La Nina. Heavy rains throughout central and eastern Oz recently. 346 mm in 24 hours in the Hunter region earlier this week. The McKinlay River in NW Queensland has stared flowing again. Lake Eyre is filling.

I just hope that when the rains do come here that the water management is way better than in 2011. A lot of the flooding then was due to mismanagement of the levels in the dams.

It is really too late now to be trying to educate farmers about water management. All previous governments are to partially to blame for the current situation. There just hasn't been enough planning and execution of water strategy. Just relying on a wet season every year is stupid.

I see that people here on TV in this thread and other threads are bitching about BKK and how it gets all the water. I don't recall seeing any official figures (robblok states x 40) but I bet that farmers use a lot more water than city residents. This is to be expected, of course farmers will use more water than city residents. Also remember that at anytime there is approximately 20% of Thailand's population in the greater BKK region. You can't go by official census figures as a significant number of people who live and work in BKK are registered in other Provinces.

Edit: recalcitrant keyboard

Edited January 8, 2016 by lujanit

[harness]

Er ....excuse me Mr Farmers. Please don't fight over almost non existent water. Be friends.

There you are. Solved.

[mancub]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

How much water does the average hotelier use in BKK ? Would help if they empty all those swimming pools.. and what about golf courses? Where do tourists and leisure seekers fit in your list of priorities ?

[elgordo38]

Details of the plan are as follows:

Bangkok gets water.

The rest of you don't.

This does not only pertain to water its everything. I am starting to understand now why they want to buy the tanks and increase the size of the army. Ooops sorry they stated that they did not want to fight over water.

[elgordo38]

Still no mention of Songkran.......which uses a tremendous amount of water......this is really a no brainer although going dry for a year would be very unpopular with Thai people and might reduce tourism.

Don't monkey with tourism it trumps everything. Songkran would be OK if they eliminated the hedonistic part and reverted back to its origin but I guess pressure building up inside the human body must be released. Checks and balances keep people focused on the bouncing ball so they do not read the words. Its all about refocusing peoples attention away from serious problems.

[elgordo38]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

How much water does the average hotelier use in BKK ? Would help if they empty all those swimming pools.. and what about golf courses? Where do tourists and leisure seekers fit in your list of priorities ?

Man cannot live by bread alone. Where is the excitement in that?

[Enoon]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

The farmers that I have met seem to be very "normal", although I would refer to them as "ordinary".

They lead ordinary lives, that feed the Nation.

So I agree with you, the ordinary people of Thailand, wherever and whoever they are, should be given priority.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Enoon

[bboy]

So the plan is to plan a plan. I thought I might read a strategic proactive methodical solution. Songkran will go ahead in full force and for the rest of the year the locals on my soi will continue pointlessly "washing" the street each evening with a hosepipe

[Krataiboy]

Never mind a plan to stop people fighting over water. How about a plan to prevent a drought?

[WhamBam]

Save water.

Shower / Bath with a friend.

[robblok]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

I think they use 40 times more water than you so you can eat

I never knew there was a shortage of food right now.. But there is a water shortage.. .. any more bright remarks ?

[phoenixdoglover]

Regarding "fighting over water", in the immortal words of Rodney King (google him)

"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

Practically, the answer was, "No!"

[soalbundy]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

I think they use 40 times more water than you so you can eat

I never knew there was a shortage of food right now.. But there is a water shortage.. .. any more bright remarks ?

No water, no food

[soalbundy]

Never mind a plan to stop people fighting over water. How about a plan to prevent a drought?

That is up to an authority beyond our reach

[robblok]

They should have been far more forceful with the farmers (and of course compensate them for not growing) a farmer uses 40x more water as a normal person. Water should be available for everyone.. not just taken by farmers and industry. First the normal people then Industry and farmers, drinking water trumps all others.

Yes BKK needs water as its a big city quite normal.

Anyway they were talking that farmers could not grow rice.. but they still did. They also should have told the farmers they would be compensated for not growing.. bad of the government not to do both.. With one hand stopping the farmers from growing rice and compensating them with the other.. it would have helped a lot. Now its too late and the harvest will fail and the water is wasted.

I think they use 40 times more water than you so you can eat

I never knew there was a shortage of food right now.. But there is a water shortage.. .. any more bright remarks ?

No water, no food

Food can be imported and there is a mountain of rice in storage. So right now water trumps food production.

[cockatoowho]

Mr Krisda explained that agreements on how to share water would be worked out among people in the risk areas with the help of officials - better order a heap more brown envelopes.

[Wilsonandson]

Details of the plan are as follows:

Bangkok gets water.

The rest of you don't.

Bangkok get water and so does its plants and gardens. Today I saw a fire engine fill up its huge water tank from the local canal then drive down a housing estate and water all the roadside trees, plants and bushes. Is this essential in a drought? In my home country when there is a water shortage the local authority imposes a strict hose pipe ban. Why not here? I guess ornamental roadside plants are important to people here. Edited January 8, 2016 by Wilsonandson

[tomacht8]

The lack of water was known to the authorities since June!
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/water-level-at-bhumibol-and-sirikit-dams-most-critical-in-51-years/97562/

In September, the reservoir stands amounted to total only 14%.
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/drought-in-thailand-tipped-to-drag-on-till-mid-2016/115089/

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

Now they start a plan.

[MaiChai]

Better get some big budgets allocated to build some super expensive desalination plants. Betime they are built we will be talking about floods again...

[coulson]

So the plan is to send some officials to villages to explain that everyone needs to calm down and share?

<deleted> that's not a plan, it's just acknowledgement they they don't know what to do.