Thailand: Policy, Values, Floods

Shahab Sabahi

Energy and Environment for Development - Policy Analysis Research Group

The floods setback Thailand's economic growth this year and interrupt the comfort and normal lives of people. Thailand’s agricultures are ruined and it will cause a rise in the global rice market prices. The disaster has also forced up global prices of computer hard drives and disrupted global auto production after the flooding of industrial estates in the central provinces (Reuters Oct.2011)

Looking beyond the social pains which caused by the floods, from economic perspective, a sum of $13 billion budget deficit has been targeted for this fiscal year from Oct. to help with the recovery.

Some blames on Bangkok’s fast growth and its foundation on the flood-risked plain (Sawai Boonma, economist in Thailand) and others advocate the idea of misconduct in irrigation, water management and lack of dams and water storage capacity.

The role that dams play in the flood management is being debated among experts. However the fact is that eleven of Thailand's twenty six major dams currently contain water beyond their nominal capacity, and the rests are 90 to 99 percent "full". (Oct. 2011 ASIA NEWS)

The Chao Phraya River which snakes through Bangkok to the gulf of Thailand was recently flowing at a rate of 4,344 cubic meters per second.

The mighty Chao Phraya River on Oct 29th 2011 in the high tides

Given the above mentioned figures and add the increasing demand for electricity, water, lands and mitigating the risk of floods, the construction of new dams is inevitable. Despite Thailand has substantial untapped potential for large scale hydropower, its use is limited due to strong public opposition and green activists to large storage dams (IEA 2009)

The opposition claims that the large dams will displace the indigenous farmers in the river banks and destroy the forests and natural resources.

It is worth to note that city dwellers as well as farmers displaced since the floods began in July, claimed many lives and put many factories in trouble to pump out waters. They could face the same fate when the floods roll around again.  

It makes one thinks over:

SHOULD the Thailand government set its priority for constructing new dams and infrastructures simultaneously to address increasing demands of energy, and the flood mitigation efforts?

SHOULD oppositions think over their rationales and take different perspective and see the environmental issues from a broader angle?  

SHOULD the development plans be relaxed for the sake of environments or should we revise our consumption pattern?

Dears,………!!!