News
Dams drying up, drought may drag into 2020
With water levels still critical at several dams around Thailand, officials speculate that drought impacts could persist into 2020, possibly having a catastrophic effect on next year’s growing season.In the West, Vajiralongkorn Dam in Kanchanaburi is at 51 per cent capacity with 4,500 million cubic ...
The Nation Reporter
Irrigation chief eases fears of water shortage
There is no risk of Thailand suffering severe water shortage in 40 days as widely feared, Royal Irrigation Department (RID) chief Thongplew Kongchan affirmed, despite the low levels of usable water at the Chao Phraya River basin’s four major dams.He instructed irrigation projects to strictly ...
The Nation Reporter
Xayaburi Dam in clear, says operator
The unseasonal drought currently affecting the lower Mekong Region has alerted both the public and the authorities to the activities of a series of dams further upstream on the international river.Jinghong Dam in China and Xayaburi Dam in Laos are both being blamed for the ...
Apinya Wipatayotin
Aquatic life faces extinction as upstream dams leave Mekong River dry
The Mekong River’s extremely low level of water caused by upstream hydropower dam projects has triggered the death of masses of fish and heightened the risk of mass extinction of aquatic life in the entire Mekong River Basin, environmental experts highlighted on Friday.Keep reading ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Mekong water level lowest in 10 years
The water level in the Mekong river is the lowest level in 10 years, according to local media reports.The water level, 2.60m, is about 10 metres below the spill-over point on the Mekong river bank, which is 13m high. In the same period last year, ...
Pattanapong Sripiachai
Prayut extols water management plan
The government’s “active investment” on water management has been successful in limiting drought damage to local communities and saving people from flooding in the rainy season, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says. Speaking at a seminar called “Knowledge Creation, Communication and Water Management in Rainy Season”, organised ...
Apinya Wipatayotin
Southeast Asia to suffer intense, more frequent drought without government action: UN and Asean report
Drought in Southeast Asia may become even more frequent and intense if countries do not take steps to reduce its impact, according to a joint study from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) and Asean.Keep reading ...
No water shortage to dampen Songkran celebrations: RID
Despite some areas of Thailand suffering from drought, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has assured that there will be enough water for people to celebrate the Songkran Festival.Keep reading ...
Pratch Rujivanarom
Spreading Drought Adds to Risks for Thailand’s Cooling Economy
A spreading drought has emerged as a new risk for Thailand’s cooling economy in addition to domestic political tension and slower exports.The country’s hot and dry season is more acute than expected amid a possible El-Nino weather event, leaving just over a quarter of top ...
No shortage despite El Nino, RID assures
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) on Monday assured that areas served by its network of irrigation canals will not experience water shortages, after forecasts predicted that this year’s summer will be longer and drier because of the El Nino weather anomaly. Keep reading ...
Bangkok Post Reporter