What exactly is causing the worst floods in Thailand? Now,
Bangkok is going underwater – and this could be a sign of things to
come. Consider ourselves warned.
What are some of the possible causes of the flooding?
Exceptionally heavy rain this year, possibly as a result of global warming (New Mandala). To tackle this, we badly need to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
A TIME World report in July 2011 predicted that climate change, rising sea waters and coastal erosion could result in parts of Bangkok being underwater by 2030. 2030? Who would have thought that large swathes of Bangkok could be underwater before the year’s end!
Then, there is the destruction of Nature in the mad rush to so-called “development”. One New Mandala commenter, Robin Grant, observed:
A Global Post report added that the sinking in Bangkok is also due to property development – the city’s many steel and concrete structures weighing down on soft clay. Shoreline construction has replaced coastal mangroves with cement, thus removing a natural buffer against flooding.
So I am stumped to hear that investors in Bangkok want guarantees (see Youtube above) from the Thai government that floods will not recur – when the construction of industrial estates and rapid urbanisation could be major factors in the worsening floods. The cheek!
Consider this from the AFP report:
What are some of the possible causes of the flooding?
Exceptionally heavy rain this year, possibly as a result of global warming (New Mandala). To tackle this, we badly need to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
A TIME World report in July 2011 predicted that climate change, rising sea waters and coastal erosion could result in parts of Bangkok being underwater by 2030. 2030? Who would have thought that large swathes of Bangkok could be underwater before the year’s end!
Then, there is the destruction of Nature in the mad rush to so-called “development”. One New Mandala commenter, Robin Grant, observed:
The rainfall figures are startling, but evidence of contributory factors to this year’s flooding, and last year’s, and the year before that etc, are easy to discern. Canals, no longer much used for transportation, are neglected, and choked with silt and weeds. Highways on embankments cris cross the country, acting as barriers to the natural flow of water. Ever more housing and industrial estates are being built, especially in areas around Bangkok, much of which is in effect a flood plain. It was claimed that last year’s serious flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima was caused, in part, by the construction of a sports stadium in the site of what had been a reservoir!Another New Mandala commenter, Ricky, suggested:
In the rush towards modernisation and “development” Thais have chosen to ignore climatic realities, and they are paying the price.
Last year nature conservationists were horrified at government plans to systematically destroy Thailand’s rivers. Despite public pleas, the plans proceeded and riparian vegetation which protected farmland from erosion was destroyed and rivers dredged to speed waters on their way to quickly flood downstream, and in doing so causing erosion of banks and damage to structures. One wonders if this was part of a plan to divert more funds to construction and private benefit? We notice that even with the floods far from over plans for more dams and drains are miraculously appearing.An AFP report pointed out that Bangkok is actually sinking. This has been blamed on excessive ground water extraction to meet the needs of factories and the growing population.
A Global Post report added that the sinking in Bangkok is also due to property development – the city’s many steel and concrete structures weighing down on soft clay. Shoreline construction has replaced coastal mangroves with cement, thus removing a natural buffer against flooding.
So I am stumped to hear that investors in Bangkok want guarantees (see Youtube above) from the Thai government that floods will not recur – when the construction of industrial estates and rapid urbanisation could be major factors in the worsening floods. The cheek!
Consider this from the AFP report:
Rapid urbanisation is one reason why the inundations are affecting the sprawling city so badly, according to experts.Do we still want to pour concrete and tar on every green space we can catch hold of? How will the water from rainfall be absorbed into the ground?
As the area that needs flood protection gets larger and more built-up, the water “has fewer places to go”, said Francois Molle, a water management expert at France’s Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement.
No comments:
Post a Comment