Main rivers
Unaffected areas Currently flooded areas Post-flood areas (under rehabilitation) Source: Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of Interior [http://www.disaster.go.th/dpm/flood53/flood53.html]
Dr. Thanawat Jarupongsakul, lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Science who has studied the disaster–causing effects of global warming and especially coastal erosion said that the 2010 unusual rainfall pattern was due to the effects of La Niña starting from July that resulted in a monsoon trough across Asia. During the first two weeks of October the monsoon trough stayed firmly in place causing heavy rainfall in all regions of Thailand. In a normal year the rain would already have moved on to affect only the Southern region of the country.10 Dr. Anon Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya added that normally the monsoon trough travels at an average speed of 100 kilometers per day. But during 2010 it stayed put for more than ten days because of influence from two low pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal and in the Pacific Ocean.11 La Niña’s wrath across Asia resulted in devastating floods in Pakistan, China and Laos in August 2010 and Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand in October 2010.
Problems in Water Management and Warning Systems The severity of the 2010 drought/flood problems again raised questions about Thailand’s water management systems, long criticized as failing. The very many water–related projects of different government agencies seem largely uncoordinated and unprepared, especially when faced with unusual situations and dramatic changes in climate. This results in highly inefficient water management in the country. Dr. Thanawat Jarupongsakul explained that, out of fear of a repetition after the severe 2009 drought, dams retained all rain water between August and September 2010 before the end of the rainy season in October. But experts were not aware of the climate fluctuations and the encroaching La Niña. At the end of September 2010, almost all dams were filled to about 70–80% of capacity. But the heavy rainfall in the first 2 weeks of October filled the dams and forced officials to urgently release water in fear of pending damage to the dams. All water from all of the dams being released combined to flood the plains already soaked with rain fall and hence resulting in extensive flooding.12 Dr. Smith Thammasarod, chairperson of the Foundation of the National Disaster Warning Council and former Permanent Secretary of the Meteorological Department, stated that the main problem remains as the Government’s lack of a natural disaster warning policy and effective coordination rendering weather prediction useless. “The Meteorological Department issued more than 20 warnings predicting heavy rains in specific areas and possibilities of flash floods. If these warnings were put to use and local administrations were warned so that they could prepare evacuations, use sandbags for prevention, desilt canals, warn residents and stockpile food, there would have been much less damage.”13 2010’s climate related disasters exposed many weaknesses in the country’s water–management and warning systems, as well as challenges facing the perspectives in and conceptualization of
43 10 Health Issues
Map showing flooded areas as of th 9 November, 2010