Thread: Farmers to be asked not to plant second rice crop due to water shortage

Farmers in the Chao Phraya River basin may not be able to plant their second rice crop for the 2019-20 season due to insufficient water to meet the demand.


According to the Royal Irrigation Department, only 6 billion cubic metres (m3) of water will be available for use throughout the forthcoming dry season from the four main reservoirs, namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwae Noi Bamrung Dan and Pasak Cholasit.

Although, the remainder of the rainy season, which lasts until the end of this month, will bring another 752 million cubic metres of rain water, the Royal Irrigation Department predicts that there will not be enough water to support a second crop.


The department will recommend that farmers skip the second crop cultivation or risk facing insufficient water to irrigate their rice fields.


The usable amount of water in each of the four reservoirs are:


Bhumibol 2.054 billion m3 (43%)
Sirikit 2.579 billion m3 (57%)
Kwae Noi Bamrung Dan 453 million m3
Pasak Cholasit 375 million m3


The Chao Phraya River basin covers an area of 20,125 square kilometres, encompassing Nakhon Sawan, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Bangkok, Saraburi, Chainat, Lop Buri and Ang Thong provinces. Normally, demand for water in the region totals 12.15 billion m3 per year, but only about 6 billion cubic metres will be available this dry season.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/farmers-to-be-asked-not-to-plant-second-rice-crop-due-to-water-shortage/

In the meantime would Malls be asked to cut their electricity use by stopping Aircons earlier or raising the temperature by 5 degrees to take part in this push to save water ?

Originally Posted by Farang Ky Ay

In the meantime would Malls be asked to cut their electricity use by stopping Aircons earlier or raising the temperature by 5 degrees to take part in this push to save water ?

Precocious metaphors and larger pictures are usually missed.
Comparative days of old, before the advent of mega-dam projects; filling in klongs that were designed for this purpose; and cementing over a natural flood basin, rice farmers made their way with 2-3 rice harvests a year - especially within the rich lower basin provinces that Kitty's article references. Klongs and holding ponds criss-crossed the region in the thousands as a way of life, regardless of the cycling seasons of flooding/"drought" [which remains the same as a hundred years ago to present day]. There was more than enough water year round, no such thing as shortages for farm/aggie production......or anything else. Natural flooding was contained - water was abundant, even off-season.

And today..?
Folks are hard pressed to to figure out what's wrong with their examinations of a convoluted manner.
Not getting it.