Provinces without irrigation most at risk
Bangkok Post 10 Dec 11;
Some provinces could be hit with drought next year due to dwindling water reserves, says Anond Snidvongs, the water management adviser to the Flood Relief Operations Command.
As the floods are receding, drought could emerge as a new problem hitting some areas next year especially in provinces which do not benefit from the Royal Irrigation Department's irrigation system, he said.
"The severe cold this year points to a drought crisis next year," Mr Anond said during the launch of http://www.GreenNewsTV.com, the web TV outlet of the Thai Society of Environmental Journalists (Thaisej).
He said massive drainage of water during the flood period could also lead to drought.
Dams and reservoirs normally store 6-7 billion cubic metres of water largely for agricultural purposes during the dry season.
But the floods this year forced officials to drain up to 2 billion cu/m of water from flooded areas, he said.
The water reserve could potentially drop to 5 billion cu/m by year's end and 4 billion cu/m by the time the new rice season arrives.
Mr Anond said the country still lacks an adequate management system to retain water supply for all areas.
Provinces which do not benefit from the department's irrigation network will be threatened by drought but those such as Lop Buri, Saraburi, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya which reap the benefits are likely to be spared, he added.
As the rainy season has passed, Mr Anond urged people to carefully use water now, to save it for when drought eventually comes.
The academic, who is the director of the regional climate research agency Start, said that parties should work out a common stance on flood prevention schemes.
"If people are concerned only about protecting their own assets from the flood, they will care less about the impacts of flood prevention schemes on the environment and on the general public," he said.
The floods also exposed flaws in wastewater and rubbish management at times of disaster.
The management system was designed to handle waste in normal situations. In the post-disaster period, the amount of water pollution and garbage has increased.
Kasemsan Jinnawaso, director-general of the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, said he believed Thais had a better understanding about water resources and the relations between upstream and downstream rivers as a result of the floods.
He said the public should pay serious attention on disaster drills. The government would have to learn how to prepare for disasters economically.
Vanchai Tantivitayapitak, president of the Thaisej, urged government agencies to work together to prevent future disasters. They should pool the best officials to work on the issue regardless of their political affiliation, he added.
The floods gave political parties an opportunity to pay more attention to environmental issues because the effect of the floods is still evident.
The government could use this opportunity to take action against people encroaching on floodways, he added. State agencies have stressed the need to tackle encroachment on natural drainage systems. They say floods are "man-made" to some extent, as natural drainage passages and water retention areas are obstructed by the construction of housing estates, roads and hotels.
