Thai floods: a repeat of 2011? – FT, September 14, 2012
…Quoted in international media, risk consultants PSA Asia said: “Flooding in several central provinces over the weekend has highlighted a flaw in the government’s flood-control strategy.” Meanwhile, the government has repeatedly reaffirmed its confidence that floods on the scale of 2011 are unlikely and earlier this year pledged $11bn to improve flood defences…
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The situation this year really isn’t the same as in 2011. By this time last year, most of the major reservoirs north of Bangkok were either at or exceeding their design limits–huge releases of water had to occur to avoid an even greater disaster of a dam failing. This year the reservoirs are well below design limits (only exception being those to the west in Kanchanburi). Last year huge areas north of BKK were already inundated. Sat imagery showed two inland seas to the north, the northernmost at Phitsanulok – Sukhothai [which does have some flooding this year] and the second south of Nakhon Sawan which is so far in pretty good shape. This year, the flooding in BKK has been due to drainage issues rather than canals spilling over their banks. A question: why the hell haven’t the canals in the city been drained down already in anticipation of expected heavy rainfall?
To follow the water management situation, try Water4Thai app for Iphone, Ipad, etc. or thaiwater.net on the web. You can follow the levels in the reservoirs and even go back day by day for years.