Thai govt continuously tackling drought

[55Jay]

Nothing has been done in our area (west of Khon Kaen).

Farmers drill and pump. The drillers work hard.

Never had there been that many wells/pumps here (in 20 years of visits and 5 year of stay).

In the past years they (government?) dug big watering canals.

Bone dry all 2015.

To be sure we got this for Christmas , 36m deep:

Nice! I just got done cleaning the buffalo krap and mud out of my city water tank, and took my first (ever) water delivery, 1,000 Lt for 150 Baht. Said it came from well a town or two away, it's clear, no smell, my Mrs. is over the moon as our normal water quality isn't good, downright disgusting lately, if we have water at all.

I'm told the ground water in our town is too salty, not aware of anyone here with a well. We are on a slightly higher elevation, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

[bobbymack]

Songkran should be cancelled this year, particularly as in Pattaya it lasts for an futile and exhausting 10 days

[scorecard]

Have any TV members living in rural and urban drought risk areas seen any actual measures to combat the water shortage where you live?

It would be useful to know if the junta's plan is anything more than hot air or, if happening, effective where you are.

Thank you.

I have here. The government gave 20 million bht to extend water storage early last year so yes measures where taken. I went to the place while they were working on it. So all this government bashing is getting a little tired.

Is their a magic fix for drought? No.

There is a case to say that real plans and actions should have been taken years ago / decades ago to facilitate both floods and droughts, and all parties are to blame that nothing was done.

[casualbiker]

Songkran should be cancelled this year, particularly as in Pattaya it lasts for an futile and exhausting 10 days

they should certainly limit it to one or two days maximum.

[thaihome]

the country will get out of the drought crisis

On a global scale the country will NOT get out of the drought crisis.

The drought is a meteorological phenomenon that is being exacerbated by global warming. So long as Thailand and the rest of Asia contribute to the causes of global warming such as CO₂ emissions from coal-fired power plants, forest fires and crop burning, Thailand will continue to experience effects of prolonged and hot droughts. The junta's plans to build seven coal-fired power plants will further drought conditions.

Certainly the government can and is taking some belated measures to lessening the impact of droughts. But these measures are largely piecemeal and politically-based as opposed to being coordinated and planned as part of a strategic scientific approach to minimizing the effects of drought trhoughout the country.

None of the current Cabinet ministers have shown the expertise to understand drought issues. Like he did with putting a professional like Somkid to deal with the collapsing economy, Prayut needs to do the same with the War on Drought. People with strict military and academic backgrounds should be avoided.

You are aware of course that latest NOAA forecast say there is high likely hood of the current El Nino conditions turning into a El Nina condition by late fall later this year. Of course, with your apparent expertise in climatology, you know exactly what the impact of that will be.

By the way, do you know what percentage of power in Thailand is produced by coal fired plants?

TH

[billd766]

Have any TV members living in rural and urban drought risk areas seen any actual measures to combat the water shortage where you live?

It would be useful to know if the junta's plan is anything more than hot air or, if happening, effective where you are.

Thank you.

I have here. The government gave 20 million bht to extend water storage early last year so yes measures where taken. I went to the place while they were working on it. So all this government bashing is getting a little tired.

Is their a magic fix for drought? No.

There is a case to say that real plans and actions should have been taken years ago / decades ago to facilitate both floods and droughts, and all parties are to blame that nothing was done.

I agree with you 100% that it should have been done years and decades ago.

It is too late for NOW but what is being done now is for the future so that hopefully Thailand will not be in this position again.

[Bluespunk]

"Govt. continuously tackling drought"

That headline would read so much better if the second word was replaced with "competently"

[billd766]

the country will get out of the drought crisis

On a global scale the country will NOT get out of the drought crisis.

The drought is a meteorological phenomenon that is being exacerbated by global warming. So long as Thailand and the rest of Asia contribute to the causes of global warming such as CO₂ emissions from coal-fired power plants, forest fires and crop burning, Thailand will continue to experience effects of prolonged and hot droughts. The junta's plans to build seven coal-fired power plants will further drought conditions.

Certainly the government can and is taking some belated measures to lessening the impact of droughts. But these measures are largely piecemeal and politically-based as opposed to being coordinated and planned as part of a strategic scientific approach to minimizing the effects of drought trhoughout the country.

None of the current Cabinet ministers have shown the expertise to understand drought issues. Like he did with putting a professional like Somkid to deal with the collapsing economy, Prayut needs to do the same with the War on Drought. People with strict military and academic backgrounds should be avoided.

You are aware of course that latest NOAA forecast say there is high likely hood of the current El Nino conditions turning into a El Nina condition by late fall later this year. Of course, with your apparent expertise in climatology, you know exactly what the impact of that will be.

By the way, do you know what percentage of power in Thailand is produced by coal fired plants?

TH

Of course Thailand will get out of the El Nino drought condition but it will take or 4 years to do so as water will still be used from the dams and it will take that long and possibly longer to refill the dams, boreholes, wells and storage areas.

However Srikcir has no real knowledge of the subject and he seems to exist solely to whine, bitch and moan about the current government. He doesn't seem to put forward any useful thoughts or ideas of his own.

[FireMedic]

I'm sure they are "tackling drought" like they "tackle corruption"..........Let's pray they use a different tactic.

[thaihome]

Of course Thailand will get out of the El Nino drought condition but it will take or 4 years to do so as water will still be used from the dams and it will take that long and possibly longer to refill the dams, boreholes, wells and storage areas.

I disagree. If the forecast for a El Nina condition work out, the northeast monsoon this fall, followed by a heavy northeast monsoon early next tear, things could be back to normal quickly.

People seem to forget that the 2011 floods were mainly caused by the 2009-2010 El Nino event which caused drought conditions and with the forecast for more drought the dams levels were kept high. When the tropical storm came through the spillways had to be opened which caused flooding downstream. Of course many here gave the Thais he'll for mismanagement that time too.

TH

[55Jay]

Of course Thailand will get out of the El Nino drought condition but it will take or 4 years to do so as water will still be used from the dams and it will take that long and possibly longer to refill the dams, boreholes, wells and storage areas.

I disagree. If the forecast for a El Nina condition work out, the northeast monsoon this fall, followed by a heavy northeast monsoon early next tear, things could be back to normal quickly.

People seem to forget that the 2011 floods were mainly caused by the 2009-2010 El Nino event which caused drought conditions and with the forecast for more drought the dams levels were kept high. When the tropical storm came through the spillways had to be opened which caused flooding downstream. Of course many here gave the Thais he'll for mismanagement that time too.

TH

Gave them hell, indeed.

Yingluck's government, and her then infamous Burberry galoshes with matching handbag, was roundly criticized for the 2011 flood and its devastating, economic aftermath.

IMO, it was just too much water to deal with no matter who was in charge of the government, exacerbated by an inadequate watershed management system and ignorant attitudes regarding the fact our climate patterns do seem to be changing. She either wasn't told of coming drought predictions or was, and chose to ignore them for political expediency. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, so she bet on Black, and had the reservoirs emptied to very low levels anticipating normal rains would top them up, but not enough to require opening the spillways to bleed off excess, and cause/add to another flood event. She lost that bet, and many areas of Thailand have been paying for it ever since. Not a junta (or Yingluck) cheerleader by any means, but smashing Prayut for the drought, isn't exactly fair.

I give some credit to Yingluck's government, however, for at least attempting to action billions in water infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, or so I've read, they were fast tracked = not properly studied in a holistic manner, and further, the projects were bundled contracts. When a handful of the projects met public resistance, the other project line items that, perhaps, made sense to do even as stand-alones, weren't able to be extracted from the package - which rings somewhat true to me having been involved in government contracts/award processes in my former life.

So the effort stalled out, then the dissolution, then coup, and Prayuth and his staff binned the whole thing; also suggesting the award process was tainted with corruption - which is probably true, no matter who's in charge.

Last year, Prayuth announced a similar traunch of water infrastructure projects, termed as a 'revival' of the Yingluck effort.

http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thai-government-water-projects-set-in-motion/108221/

http://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-economy-projects-idUSL3N0EU17820130618

The Germans tried to advise Thailand on alternative strategies, but government reps at the conference indicated new ideas about water management would be a hard sell to senior decision makers in the Thai Govt.

http://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-economy-projects-idUSL3N0EU17820130618

[skildpadden]

Flooding and drought is part of the cycle and the past many governments – democrat. PTP/TRT, military – has not been able or willing to seriously come up with a water management plan and then stick to it.

I find this amazing as a big part of the nation’s people is depending on proper water management. They seem not willing to take in foreign advice from e.g. the Germans or the Dutch, as they appear to know better.

The drought is here now and not much can be done at this moment I guess, as the reservoirs are virtually empty – and we need a proper rain. I am no water expert at all, but I would imagine you can prepare for the future – dam building is a very long term project – but cleaning up, strengthening, repairing, deepen and perhaps widening all existing water ways and reservoirs can be done right now. Since most of them are dry now I guess that would make work much easier?

Since this is a military government why not put all those soldiers to good use for the actual benefit of the country by helping renovating the water ways and reservoirs? Throw in as well a couple of chubby navy commanders to work of a couple of kilos – hey, you could then call it a national exercise program and claim big success.