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Human Mismanagement of Water.
Thailand has 17 Dams because it's vast farmlands critically need steady supply of water for crops. Hence Dams are built for water catchment during rainy season when there is too much water, and the excess water are steadily released periodically to manage the water level of the rivers and constant water supply to farmlands. Hydro-electric Dams are one of the cheapest way of power generation. Apart from that, Dam constructions are huge projects and cronies of the people-in-charge tend to benefit from Dam construction projects.
The Thai Dams catches water during the rainy season starting May which normally slows down or ends around October. Last June'2010, there was a dry spell and it turned out farmlands ran short of water. Thailand has history of "water-beggars" protesting for water shortage. Now... with this kind of history and background, the Irrigation Department tends to err on over-storing water than under-storing since their role is Irrigation.
This year the weather turned a little freaky and rainy season got worse instead of ending in October. Water levels at the Dams were almost full and reached unmanageable level. They have no choice but to increase the release of water into the rivers causing a general rise in water level across the countries.. it is THAT MUCH water. It would be worst to let the water exceed limit at the Dams... a burst Dam would be like the great flood Noah experienced.
A better weather pattern prediction and Dam water level management could have minimised the problem. It is a costly mistake.
In Singapore we have a smaller scale problem with Marina Barrage. "Since completion of the Marina Barrage, there has been annual floodings in areas (e.g. Orchard Road shopping belt) which had been flood-free. There is a suspicion that the Barrage is slowing down the discharge rate of the storm water into the open sea." - wiki
Apparently the great Australian flood earlier this year had similar causes as well.
Noted in all 3 cases, government officials were quick to emphasize this is a one-in-fifty years or one-in-hundred years flood. What they do not tell you is... they were sleeping on the job.
Thailand has 17 Dams because it's vast farmlands critically need steady supply of water for crops. Hence Dams are built for water catchment during rainy season when there is too much water, and the excess water are steadily released periodically to manage the water level of the rivers and constant water supply to farmlands. Hydro-electric Dams are one of the cheapest way of power generation. Apart from that, Dam constructions are huge projects and cronies of the people-in-charge tend to benefit from Dam construction projects.
The Thai Dams catches water during the rainy season starting May which normally slows down or ends around October. Last June'2010, there was a dry spell and it turned out farmlands ran short of water. Thailand has history of "water-beggars" protesting for water shortage. Now... with this kind of history and background, the Irrigation Department tends to err on over-storing water than under-storing since their role is Irrigation.
This year the weather turned a little freaky and rainy season got worse instead of ending in October. Water levels at the Dams were almost full and reached unmanageable level. They have no choice but to increase the release of water into the rivers causing a general rise in water level across the countries.. it is THAT MUCH water. It would be worst to let the water exceed limit at the Dams... a burst Dam would be like the great flood Noah experienced.
A better weather pattern prediction and Dam water level management could have minimised the problem. It is a costly mistake.
In Singapore we have a smaller scale problem with Marina Barrage. "Since completion of the Marina Barrage, there has been annual floodings in areas (e.g. Orchard Road shopping belt) which had been flood-free. There is a suspicion that the Barrage is slowing down the discharge rate of the storm water into the open sea." - wiki
Apparently the great Australian flood earlier this year had similar causes as well.
Noted in all 3 cases, government officials were quick to emphasize this is a one-in-fifty years or one-in-hundred years flood. What they do not tell you is... they were sleeping on the job.
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