Mae Nam Khong Included in our Site Tour Summary
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Mae Nam Khong Included in our Site Tour Summary
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Mae Nam Khong Included in our Site Tour Summary
2011 Thailand floods
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For the flooding which involved southern Thailand in March–April 2011, see 2011 Southern Thailand floods.
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This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (December 2011)
2011 Thailand floods
Helicopter survey of flooding in suburban Greater Bangkok, 22 October 2011.jpg
A United States Navy helicopter surveys flooded areas in the outskirts of Bangkok.
Duration: 25 July 2011 (2011-07-25) – 16 January 2012 (2012-01-16) (175 days)[1]
Fatalities: 815[1]
Damages: 1,425 billion baht (US$45.7 Bn)[2]
Areas affected: 65 of Thailand's 77 provinces[1]
Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand. Beginning at the end of July triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm Nock-ten, flooding soon spread through the provinces of Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. In October floodwaters reached the Chao Phraya and inundated parts of the capital city of Bangkok. Flooding persisted in some areas until mid-January 2012, and resulted in a total of 815 deaths (with 3 missing) and 13.6 million people affected. Sixty-five of Thailand's 77 provinces were declared flood disaster zones, and over 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) of farmland was damaged.[1] The disaster has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected."
The World Bank has estimated 1,425 billion baht (US$ 45.7 Bn) in economic damages and losses due to flooding, as of 1 December 2011.[2][3] Most of this was to the manufacturing industry, as seven major industrial estates were inundated by as much 3 meters (10 feet) during the floods.[4] Disruptions to manufacturing supply chains affected regional automobile production and caused a global shortage of hard disk drives, which is expected to last throughout 2012.
The World Bank's estimate for this disaster means it ranks as the world's fourth costliest disaster as of 2011 surpassed only by the 2011 earthquake and tsin unami in Japan, 1995 Kobe earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.[5]
Mae Nam Kong Included our Site Tour Summary
Thailand's southern provinces also saw seasonal flash-flooding towards the end of the year, although these did not occur in the same extreme nature as in the more northern provinces.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Background
* 2 Flooding timeline
o 2.1 Northeast
o 2.2 South
* 3 Flooding in and around Bangkok
o 3.1 Timeline of protecting downtown Bangkok
* 4 Mitigation and relief efforts
o 4.1 Disputes
o 4.2 Issues with car owners
o 4.3 Communication deficiencies
* 5 Damage
o 5.1 Damages to industrial estates and global supply shortages
o 5.2 Impacts of flood on other countries
o 5.3 Damage to tourism
o 5.4 Sanitation concerns
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Background
Topographical map of Thailand: Tributaries of the Chao Phraya flow from the mountainous northern region to join in the central plains, where it flows southwards into the Gulf of Thailand; the northeastern plateau is drained by the Chi and the Mun, which flow into the Mekong at the Thai-Lao border.
Various regions of Thailand are prone to seasonal flash-flooding due to their tropical savanna climate. The floods often occur in the North and spread down the Chao Phraya River through the central plains, in the Northeast along the Chi and Mun Rivers flowing into the Mekong, or in the coastal hillsides of the East and South. Remnants of tropical storms that strike Vietnam or the peninsular south commonly increase precipitation, resulting in further risk of flooding. Drainage control systems, including multiple dams, irrigation canals and flood detention basins,[6] have been implemented, but are inadequate to prevent flood damage, especially to rural areas. A lot of effort, including a system of drainage tunnels begun in 2001,[7] has been put into preventing the enormous flooding of the capital city, which lies near the mouth of the Chao Phraya and is prone to flooding, with considerable success, Bangkok having seen only brief and minor flooding since the major flood of 1995. Other regions, however, have experienced severe flooding as recently as 2010.
Ominously, rainfall for March over the area of northern Thailand was an extraordinary 344% above the mean. Bhumibol Dam in particular got 242.8 mm of rain, 224.7 mm above the normal 25.2 mm; since 1 January the dam had accumulated 245.9 mm, 216.0 mm or 186% above normal.[8]
[edit] Flooding timeline
False-colour satellite image showing extent of flooding on 19 October 2011; Water is shown in dark blue.
With the monsoon season well underway in 2011, with noticeable rainfalls started from May, major flooding began as Tropical Storm Nock-ten made landfall in Northern Vietnam, causing heavy precipitation in Northern and Northeastern Thailand and flash flooding in many provinces beginning 31 July.[9][10] Within one week thirteen had been reported dead, with ongoing flooding in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phrae, and Uttaradit in the North, and Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon and Udon Thani in the upper Northeast. The upper-central provinces of Phichit, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai were also flooded as the flooding spread down the overflowing Yom and Nan Rivers. Prachuap Khiri Khan on the gulf coast was also affected.[11]
Flooding was still ongoing by late August, as heavy rains were expected to continue further than usual due to the effect of La Niña. Floodwaters reached 50 cm in downtown Nan and already became the highest recorded in 16 years in Phitsanulok Province, while large areas in the downstream provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Nayok were being increasingly affected and the death toll continued to rise to 37 by 22 August. The Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams were increasing discharge rates to compensate for incoming flow.[12][13]
By 19 September almost all lower central provinces were being affected by flood, i.e. Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi, the last two of which sit on the northern border of Bangkok.[14] Broken floodgates resulted in water from the Chao Phraya flowing through irrigation canals and inundating large areas of paddy fields in Singburi, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya, but lessening the strain on Bangkok as the fields served as water retention areas.[15] Boats were employed to run against the river flow while anchored in an attempt to increase the river's discharge rate.[16]
Satellite photographs showing flooding in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani Provinces in October (right), compared to before the flooding in July (left)
By the beginning of October, most dams were already near- or over-capacity and being forced to increase their rates of discharge, potentially worsening downstream flooding.[17] Flooding in Ayutthaya worsened as flood water entered the city proper, inundating the Ayutthaya Historical Park and forcing evacuations. Barriers protecting industrial estates failed, resulting in flooding of dozens of major factories and country-wide disruption of manufacturing supply chains.[18] In Nakhon Sawan, the sandbag barrier protecting the city was breached, resulting in rapid flooding of the city. Hundreds of patients had to be transferred out of Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan Regional Hospitals by boat as water levels rose over the hospital floors and power supplies and life support systems were disrupted.[19]
[edit] Northeast
Thailand's northeast has three major rivers, the Mekong, and tributaries Mae Mun and Mae Chi, which have all experienced flooding this year. In centrally located Khon Kaen Province alone, floods destroyed close to 350,000 rai (56000 hectares; over 200 square miles) of land, stranding 315 families of Mai Si Wilai village in the middle of the swollen Nong Kong Kaew Lake in Chonnabot District, while in Phra Lap municipality on the outskirts of Khon Kaen city, over 700 displaced residents of Phra Kheu village called the shoulder of a provincial highway home. The provincial Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, normally allocated 50 million Thai baht, was granted an extra 50 million this year and has spent over 80 million to date.[20]
[edit] South
The drama of the flooding around the Bangkok area and its financial costs captured most of the headlines. However, significant flooding occurred in late 2011 in Thailand's southern provinces. Nine provinces were being affected by flash flooding owing to rains that occurred in November 2011. Saba Yoi, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum and Singha Nakhon districts were declared disaster zones after flood waters covered nearly all areas as high as 5 meters deep. More than 159 small and key roads were impassable. Ten other districts were feared at risk of inundation and more rains were expected.[21] Southern coastal areas were also effected by high waves.
[edit] Flooding in and around Bangkok
As floodwaters drained southwards from Ayutthaya, Bangkok was becoming seriously threatened by mid-October. In Pathum Thani Province bordering Bangkok to the north, continuous efforts to reinforce and repair sandbag flood walls were undertaken to prevent the Chao Phraya and Rangsit Canals from overflowing into Bangkok. Several districts in eastern Bangkok which lie outside Bangkok's flood wall, as well as parts of the surrounding Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao and Nakhon Pathom Provinces, became flooded as water was diverted from the Chao Phraya to the Nakhon Nayok River and outlying canals.[22]
The 2-metre-high inundation has affected the Rangsit campus of Thammasat University in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok.
As flood barriers in Pathum Thani failed, even more industrial estates as well as suburban residential areas became flooded.[23] Parts of the Phahon Yothin Highway leading out of Bangkok became inaccessible, causing severe traffic jams on alternative routes.[24] Disruption of a barrier protecting the Khlong Prapa water supply canal early on 20 October allowed floodwaters to enter the canal and rapidly flow down to Sam Sen in central Bangkok, overflowing and flooding several areas along the banks. Although the breach was controlled, residents panicked and have illegally parked cars on flyovers and parts of the elevated expressway.[25]
The entire Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, serving as the largest evacuation centre, has incurred 2-metre-high inundation. Water forced its final examinations scheduled to be held in the last week of September, and the next semester expected to be started in November, to be postponed for three times. It is announced on 9 November that the said final examinations are rescheduled to the last week of January, 2012, while the next semester is to begin on and from 9 January 2012.[26]
As the situation continued, several floodgates controlling the Rangsit/Raphiphat canal system became overwhelmed and were forced to release water towards more residential areas. Residents of several districts of Bangkok, especially those bordering Pathum Thani, have been told to prepare for flooding.[citation needed]
Satellite image showing the submerged runway complex of Don Mueang Airport
The Chao Phraya River watershed drains an area of 157,924 square kilometres (60,975 sq mi).[27] This entire area drains towards Bangkok and eventually empties into the sea. The Chao Phraya River itself, and pumping stations around Bangkok drain approximately 420,000,000 square metres (4.5×109 sq ft) per day. However, the releases from the dams upstream of Bangkok coupled with additional rainfalls, led to estimates that 16,000,000,000 cubic metres (5.7×1011 cu ft) of flood waters must be drained.[28] This flow that headed toward Bangkok equates to 16 cubic kilometres (3.8 cu mi). Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department predicted, provided there is no new rains, it would take 30 to 45 days for this amount of water to get to the sea. [28]
Until the water flows out to sea, it must go somewhere. This meant flooding in any unprotected low lands. The amount of land inundated, and the height of peak flood waters has been difficult to project for three reasons.
* The exact amount of flood water flowing towards Bangkok was an estimate.
* Flood waters into the Bangkok area don't arrive all at the same time.
* The amount of land area that flood waters can occupy before reaching the sea is variable depending on how well barriers hold.
[edit] Timeline of protecting downtown Bangkok
This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (January 2012)
* 28 November 2011 – Downtown Bangkok appears to have been successfully defended from inundation and flood waters in most areas were draining. This said, residents in areas that remained flooded were growing more impatient. Sandbag walls were being sabotaged and sluice gate levels changed. Residents in some areas were said to be "poised to revolt".[29]
* 27 November 2011 – Many neighborhoods in outer Bangkok remained inundated. Residents in flooded areas were coping with stagnant waters that had become breeding grounds for swarms of insects.[30]
* 22 November 2011 – Siri Suparathit of the Rangsit University Center on Climate Change and Disaster reported steady decreasing levels of flood waters in most areas around Bangkok and that even if the big bag wall was breached more there "will be no problem". However, an estimated 20 million cubic meters of water per day still overflow from the Chao Phraya river and will keep some areas north of downtown Bangkok flooded into December 2011. '[31]
* 14 and 18 November 2011 – More areas of big bag walls protecting unflooded areas of Bangkok were torn down by up to 2000 residents tired of high flood waters in their area. Jate Sopitpongstorn, advisor to Bangkok's governor, said "It’s a big concern because there is such a large amount of water yet to come in."[32]
* 14 November 2011 – In apparent direct defiance of Prime Minister Yingluck, Don Muang about 200 residents removed more sand bags from a barrier that was described as one of the last lines of defense preventing water from flowing into Bangkok's upper districts.[33]
* 12 November 2011 – Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck said overall the situation in Bangkok was improving. However, "she declined to say how far the flood water would stray into inner Bangkok and whether the Bangchan Industrial Estate will be safe." This question required more evaluation and that effectiveness of flood control efforts was not a certainty. Drainage in Western Bangkok required more improvement and the coming high tides of mid-November were still a concern.[34]
* 10 November 2011 – Public official Chavalit Chatararatt, in a live televised analysis, predicted that Bangkok will be dry by 20 November 2011 provided all conditions are right.[35]
* 10 November 2011 – The Thai Irrigation Department reported Bangkok flood waters could be drained in 11 days. Spokesman Mr Boonsanong dismissed reports the city could be hit by more waters from the North. Floodwater was described as being 1 km from Rama 2 Road and the situation "hard to predict".[36]
* 9 November 2011 – Flooding still had not reached downtown Bangkok, however, yet another dire prediction was made. This one was by Graham Catterwell in The National. While he concedes it is hard to get a clear picture and he hopes flooding will not occur, that a city-wide deluge is inevitable.[37]
* According to Catterwell's prediction made 9 November 2011. Parts of central Eastern Bangkok – notably (in sequence) Bangkapi, Ramkahhaeng Road, Srinakharin Road, and Phetburi Road – look sure to be under water by early next week. After Phetburi Road goes under, it will not take long for these waters to flow to Sukhumvit and the rest of downtown Bangkok.
* Also on 9 November 2011 Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) director, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok stated water was moving underground through the city's sewers and he could not say if the heart of the capital and Rama 2 Road would be inundated.[38] Rama 2 Road as of 9 November 2011 was the last remaining route open to Southern Thailand and vital to supply cities with goods made in the Bangkok area.
* 6 November 2011 – Khomsan Maleesee, of the KMITL's Faculty of Engineering, stated The promise that the 20 districts in Bangkok that remain dry would not flood was now hardly credible.[39]
Other experts have disagreed however, it is important that disagreements be noted by time and date since opinions may change. On 1 November 2011 flooding in downtown Bangkok was seen as unlikely according to Dr Anond Snidvongs.[40]
* 8 November 2011 – Todd Pitman, writing for the Associated Press reported Top officials and experts have given varying estimates of how much Bangkok would flood and how long the threat would loom over the city.[41]
[edit] Mitigation and relief efforts
Temporary shelter was provided at stadiums, universities, schools and government buildings.
Centralized flood monitoring and relief operations began in mid-August. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, appointed early-August, made tours of flood provinces beginning 12 August and assigned cabinet members and members of parliament to visit affected people, pledging support to local administration organizations.[42] The 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide was set up on 20 August under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of the Ministry of Interior to coordinate warning and relief efforts.[43] The government also allocated extra flood-relief budgets to the affected provinces.[44] The Prime Minister has also pledged to invest in long-term prevention projects, including the construction of drainage canals.
The armed forces have been mobilized to distribute aid to affected people, and civilian groups and organizations are also involved, with volunteers packing sustenance kits and delivering aid to some areas. A Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) has been set up at Don Mueang Airport to coordinate the delivery of aid, superseding the Emergency Operation Center because it could not exercise adequate authority. The stadium at Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University is serving as a shelter for evacuees, mostly from Ayutthaya. However, many people in the flooded areas are refusing to leave their homes for fear of looting.
China,[45] Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and New Zealand[46] have pledged support and assistance for relief operations.[citation needed]
On 16 October 2011, the USS George Washington (CVN-73) aircraft carrier, as well as several other United States Navy ships were deployed to Thailand to assist in relief work. It was not clear to the US government whether or not the Thai government required US naval assistance due to mixed signals from the Thai government. An anonymous US defense official said that they were "ready to help but we haven't got a request." Then Captain John Kirby of the USS Mustin, docked at Port Laem Chabang on a routine visit, said Thailand asked the warship to prolong its stay at the port for up to six days for assistance in aerial surveillance of the extent the flooding; the Pentagon said two Seahawk helicopters aboard would conduct the reconnaissance.[47]
[edit] Disputes
Sandbag barriers were constructed to control flooding, with limited success.
On a national level the largest dispute is whether the dams that store waters upstream of Bangkok were mismanaged.
The size and scope of the 2011 flood can, in part, be attributed to the low rainfalls of the 2010 monsoon season. Dam levels hit record lows on June 2010.[48] The evidence shows that early in the season the dams collected large amounts of water building reserves and buffering early flooding.[48] The scale of the rainfalls of 2011 is evidenced by the amount of waters collected behind Bhumibol Dam. Over 8 billion cubic meters of water were collected in 3 months filling this dam to 100%.[49] Once at capacity, continuing rains forced officials to increase flows from the dams despite increasing flooding and this led to accusations that the dams were mismanaged early in the monsoon season.[50] However, the counter argument is that had the monsoon season for 2011 been short and the dam levels not built, up that even lower levels than 2010 would have been mismanagement too.
As the flooding threat against Bangkok increased, discontent with the government response and the FROC has mounted. The government has been criticized for underestimating the extent of flooding, giving mixed or conflicting information, and not giving adequate warnings. Failure of government units to share data and cooperate have been reported as contributing to the problem. Administers of the FROC and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have been criticized for playing politics and refusing to cooperate at the expense of the general population.
Copying the technique suggested by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to help quicken the flow of water through the much shallower Khlong Lad Pho canal, Yingluck placed hundreds of boats in the Chao Phraya River to accelerate the flow and drainage of the basin.[51] Yingluck was criticized for this by Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, who called the operation a "waste of time" as there were high sea tide at the time.[52] Smith Dharmasarojana, former Director-General of the Meteorological Department and Chairman of the National Disaster Warning Council Foundation, also criticized the operation, claiming that "accelerating boats in the middle of the wide Chao Phraya River is a waste because they propel only the water on the surface."[53] However, others have countered that boats wouldn't move forward unless they propelled water backwards.[54] The middle ground to this dispute is that the overall power of the Chao Phraya River is tremendous compared to the additional power added to it by the engines of the boats. Later on 5 December 2011, the King was present at a public ceremony held on his 84th birthday anniversary, attended also by the senior public officers and live broadcast throughout the Nation. He gave a public speech a part of which was: "...Especially, the people are now suffering from the inundation. Every person is obliged to together and without delay cope with this public danger. And all projects I have suggested, such as the project on permanent management of water, are merely an advice, not an order. The persons concerned must think twice [about them]..."[55]
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a member of the opposition party to the current government and Democrat Governor of Bangkok, apparently seized the flood as an opportunity to grandstand and made comments such as "please believe me and only me", and 800,000 sandbags provided by the federal government were of questionable construction. "Once I saw these paper bags I was in shock” he said, refusing the sandbags. In response, the government released photos of the bags, construction details, and suggested that the Governor was perhaps ill-advised by a third party in an attempt to allow him to save some face.[56][57]
The use of flood barriers has resulted in multiple disputes between people on the different sides; those on the flooded side being angry that they were unfairly affected, and often attempting to sabotage the barriers, sometimes resulting in armed confrontation. Farmers in Phichit Province, among others, fought over the maintenance of sandbag barriers and sluice gates.[12][13] Residents in areas outlying Bangkok are also dissatisfied that their homes are flooded while Bangkok is being protected.[58] Arguments over the construction of the controversial Kaeng Suea Ten Dam have also risen.
Local resistance to the building and maintenance of flood barriers has disrupted government work in several instances. Residents in some areas have sabotaged barriers and threatened government workers with firearms.[citation needed]
[edit] Issues with car owners
Car wrecks after the flood
Since the flood had arrived at Pathumthani province, the media presented flood-related news more frequently and made car owners in Bangkok and nearby precincts panic. Many designated car parks were full at that time. Therefore, a lot of them had chosen to park their vehicles on expressways, intersections or anywhere they perceived would not get flooded. This aggravated traffic problems and there were several unreported accidents. No deaths had been reported.[59][60][61][62]
[edit] Communication deficiencies
One notable error in communications between Thai medias and foreign companies was the lack of information in English. Japan's Toshiba says, "it is critical for the government to provide more accurate flood information and implement long-term prevention measures."[63] The other foreign investors also shared this anxiety. Another notable example of insufficient communication was with Rohm Integrated Systems, one of the largest Japanese semiconductor manufacturers who had a manufacturing plant in Navanakorn. The company received very little information about the flood and could not move critical equipment in time.[64]
[edit] Damage
Multiple industrial estates were badly affected by flooding, resulting in manufacturing disruptions and global supply shortages.
The flooding has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected".[65] As of 6 November, flooding has affected 3,151,224 people from 1,154,576 families, with 506 deaths and 2 missing persons reported by the 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide (EOC).[66] Damage estimates of at least 185 billion Baht by the latest estimation by Federation of Thai Industry (Central region section) which includes 95 billion Baht damage on Thai industry, 25 billion Baht damage on Thai Agriculture and 65 billion Baht damage on the housing in the communities and suburb villages.[67] A large part of the damage stems from the effect on the manufacturing industry, with 930 factories in 28 provinces affected, including multiple industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani Provinces which have been flooded. The flooding has been estimated to result in decrease 0.6 to 0.9 percent in economic growth.[68] Schools, 1,053 of which have been affected as of 19 September, were forced to end the term early.[14]
Employment has been hurt when factories flooded and workers were laid off or fired. Not all factories are expected to reopen causing significant long term job loss in Central Thailand.
Thailand accounts for about 30 percent of global trade in rice and 25 percent of the main crop is not expected to survive being flooded.[69] On the other side of the world rice farmers in Arkansas, that usually account for 42 percent of U.S. output, also were flooded early this year, and then faced drought reducing their crop by 32 percent according to the USDA.[70] Combined, these two events will have a global impact on rice prices for all. Within Thailand, where rice farmers do not typically have much reserve capital, effects on farmers will be felt the greatest since they lost both their investment in the current crop and must wait to earn money when flood waters recede before planting a new one.
[edit] Damages to industrial estates and global supply shortages
On 8 October 2011 the 10 metre high water blockage in Nikom Rojna industrial estate, which housed many manufacturing plants, had collapsed.[16] The strong current had interfered with reconstruction efforts and resulted in the whole area being non-operational. One of the major manufacturing plants, Honda, was left virtually inaccessible.[71]
Thailand is the world's 2nd largest producer of hard disk drives accounting for approximately 25% of the world's production.[72] Many of the factories that make hard disk drives have been flooded, including Western Digital's, leading some industry analysts to predict future worldwide shortages of hard disk drives.[73][74] Western Digital was able to get one of their plants, that was flooded on 15 October 2011, back up and running on 30 November 2011. Some operations were expected to take longer to recover and another plant as of 2 December 2011 was still under 2 feet of water. Western Digital's flood related costs were estimated at between US$225–$275 million, however, an insurance claim of US$50 million for property damage, and another claim for business interruption will help lower the net impact.[75]
[edit] Impacts of flood on other countries
The economies of other countries besides Thailand will be significantly impacted by the flood. The country that will be hardest hit is Japan.[76] Japanese firms with plants in Thailand include Toyota, Honda, Hitachi, and Canon. One analyst predicted the profits of one firm, Toyota, may be cut by ¥200 billion (US$2.5 billion). Worker incomes in Thailand and Japan are also impacted.[76]
For some firms and countries the impact may not be all negative. For example Thailand is a major exporter of seafood and countries like India will have firms that gain as they step to fill in the void.[77]
Thailand's flood helped contribute to a total estimated US$259 billion in economic losses for the first nine months of 2011. These losses represented 80% of the world's total economic losses and the insurance industry has responded by raising rates in some areas between 50 and 200 percent or by outright not accepting new clients in Asia.[78]
[edit] Damage to tourism
In early November 2011, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suraphon Svetasreni, projected a combined loss as high as US$825 million owing to reduced international and national tourism. TAT projected that between 220,000 and 300,000 visitors would cancel their trip.[79]
Tourism numbers had been running higher than 2010 up till the end of October 2011. Arrivals at Bangkok's airport were up 6.7 percent compared to October 2010 and same month last year, Phuket arrivals were up 28.5 percent.[79]
The TAT wanted tourists to know tourist destinations such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Pai, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Pattaya, Sattahip, Chonburi, Chantaburi, Petchburi, Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang, Satun, Hat Yai, Rayong, Trat, Chumphon, Ranong, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui had not been affected by flood at all. If a section of Bangkok became temporarily inaccessible, visitors still had other options.
This said, concerns about the ability to continue food supplies to some areas was evident in the papers. Some retailers in Phuket were scrambling in October 2011 to establish alternatives when their regular distribution centers were flooded.[80] An added concern became even more pressing when it became clear on 7 November 2011 that Rama II Road, the last open link to the South, was expected to flood. To off set this risk, plans were announced to mobilize teams to reclaim Highway 340 that in parts was under up to a meter of water.[81]
[edit] Sanitation concerns
Effects of the trash and sewage within the waters are expected to peak when waters subside leaving behind stagnant pools of water. A spokesman for UNICEF encouraged everyone to stay out of the waters as much as possible.[82] Since a household sanitation system won't operate under flood water, individuals that remained in flooded areas, both exposed themselves to risks, and increased the risks for those living downstream by continuing to generate more sewage and trash in waters carried downstream.
[edit] See also
* 2010 Thai floods
* 2011 Southeast Asian floods
* 2011 Southern Thailand floods
[edit] References
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011)
1. ^ a b c d " รายงานสรุปสถานการณ์ อุทกภัย วาตภัย และดินโคลนถล่ม ฉบับที่ 129 วันที่ 17 มกราคม 2555 (Flood, storm and landslide situation report)" (in Thai). 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide. 17 January 2012. http://disaster.go.th/dpm/flood/news/news_thai/EOCReport17JAN.pdf. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
2. ^ a b "The World Bank Supports Thailand's Post-Floods Recovery Effort". World Bank. 13 December 2011. http://go.worldbank.org/TCFEHXJML0. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
3. ^ AP (2 December 2011). "Thailand cleans up; Areas remain flooded". Time. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2101273,00.html.
4. ^ "Bangkok Opens Floodgates as Government Response Is Criticized". 21 October 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/world/asia/bangkok-opens-floodgates-as-government-response-is-criticized.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss.
5. ^ Bo Zhang, (30 March 2011). "Top 5 most expensive natural disasters in history". http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/top-5-most-expensive-natural-d/47459.
6. ^ "Govt to build 190 'Monkey Cheeks'". The Nation. 4 September 2010. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Govt-to-build-190-Monkey-Cheeks--30137230.html. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
7. ^ "BMA building flood drainage tunnel system". Bangkok Post. 11 November 2010. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/205914/bma-building-flood-drainage-tunnels-to-prevent-deluge. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
8. ^ Bangkok Pundit (3 November 2011). "The Thai floods, rain, and water going into the dams – Part 2". Asian Correspondent. "Source: Thai Meteorological Department Monthly Current Report Rainfall and Accumulative Rainfall March 2011."
9. ^ "North, Northeast inundated by effects of Nock-ten". Bangkok Post. 1 August 2011. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/249670/north-northeast-inundated-by-effects-of-nock-ten. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
10. ^ The starting date for the flood season is officially noted to be 25 July.
11. ^ "Thailand’s flood death toll rises to 13". MCOT online news. 5 August 2011. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/62tsKskCP. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
12. ^ a b "Death toll in ravaged provinces climbs to 37". Bangkok Post. 22 August 2011. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/252818/death-toll-in-ravaged-provinces-climbs-to-37. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
13. ^ a b "La Nina to raise risk of flooding". The Nation. 23 August 2011.
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50. ^ Mydans, Seth (13 October 2011). "As Thailand Floods Spread, Experts Blame Officials, Not Rains". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/world/asia/a-natural-disaster-in-thailand-guided-by-human-hand.html?_r=1.
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53. ^ Bangkok Post, Smith faults water management, 13 October 2011
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56. ^ New York Times, Fears Revived in Bangkok as Flood Waters Surge, 19 October 2011
57. ^ "Tensions between Bangkok Governor and central govt spill into public domain". New York Times. 21 October 2011. http://asiancorrespondent.com/67584/tensions-between-bangkok-governor-and-central-government-become-public/.
58. ^ Bottollier-Depois, Amelie (7 October 2011). "Bangkok's neighbours shoulder flood burden". AFP. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iXW5T4S8KXhmAhSLxJiEbp75EY0w?docId=CNG.58373e7f036f8f17de09af25b18c1a80.2b1. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
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62. ^ "People urged not to block traffic". Matichon. 27 October 2011. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/People-urged-not-to-block-traffic-30168649.html. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
63. ^ "Japan investor post-flood wish list". Bangkok Post. 14 October 2011. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/261352/japan-investor-post-flood-wish-list. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
64. ^ "Foreign Investors Angry With Thailand's Flood Response". CNBC. 23 October 2011. http://www.cnbc.com/id/45009767/Foreign_Investors_Angry_With_Thailand_s_Flood_Response. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
65. ^ "Thailand's 'worst' floods leave 224 dead". AFP. 3 October 2011. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hqj94V3z9Urapil21zfBlurqoVHw?docId=CNG.6185d845b10c9bd3444cb7c3c9426b41.821. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
66. ^ "รายงานสรุปสถานการณ์ อุทกภัย วาตภัย และดินโคลนถล่ม (Flood, storm and landslide situation report)" (in Thai). 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide. 7 November 2011. http://disaster.go.th/dpm/flood/news/news_thai/EOCReport6NOV.pdf. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
67. ^ "๪Ñ蹷ѹ¢èÒÇ". Breakingnews.nationchannel.com. http://breakingnews.nationchannel.com/read.php?newsid=534687. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
68. ^ Yuvejwattana, Suttinee; Supunnabul Suwannakij (13 October 2011). "Thai Flooding Threatens Bangkok, May Cut Deeper Into Growth". Bloomberg Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-13/thai-flooding-threatens-bangkok-may-cut-deeper-into-growth.html. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
69. ^ Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat (28 October 2011). "Floods may damage quarter of Thai rice crop, exports hit". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/28/us-thailand-rice-idUSTRE79R0QF20111028.
70. ^ Javier, Luzi Ann; Suwannakij, Supunnabul. "Floods Ruining 14% of Thai Rice May Erase Global Export Glut: Commodities". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-25/floods-ruining-14-of-thai-rice-may-erase-global-export-glut-commodities.html.
71. ^ "พิษน้ำท่วมนิคมอุตสาหกรรมฯ อยุธยา ฉุดจีดีพีประเทศร่วง ชมภาพ"ฮอนด้า"จมน้ำ". Matichon. 10 October 2011. http://www.matichon.co.th/news_detail.php?newsid=1318229928&grpid=01&catid=&subcatid=. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
72. ^ Adam Carey (29 October 2011). "Thailand floods to put the grinch in Christmas". The Age. Australia. http://www.theage.com.au/national/thailand-floods-to-put-the-grinch-in-christmas-20111028-1mo4a.html. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
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74. ^ "Western Digital's flood-hit Thailand ops to hurt company". Reuters. 17 October 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/17/us-westerndigital-idUSTRE79G3E520111017. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
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[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2011 Thailand floods
* Thai Meteorological Department: Rainfall and severe flooding over Thailand in 2011
* A comprehensive collection of published news following the flooding from September 2011: Thailand Floods, 2011 (#ThaiFloodEng)
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Categories:
* 2011 floods
* Floods in Thailand
* 2011 in Thailand
2011 Thailand floods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the flooding which involved southern Thailand in March–April 2011, see 2011 Southern Thailand floods.
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This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (December 2011)
2011 Thailand floods
Helicopter survey of flooding in suburban Greater Bangkok, 22 October 2011.jpg
A United States Navy helicopter surveys flooded areas in the outskirts of Bangkok.
Duration: 25 July 2011 (2011-07-25) – 16 January 2012 (2012-01-16) (175 days)[1]
Fatalities: 815[1]
Damages: 1,425 billion baht (US$45.7 Bn)[2]
Areas affected: 65 of Thailand's 77 provinces[1]
Severe flooding occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand. Beginning at the end of July triggered by the landfall of Tropical Storm Nock-ten, flooding soon spread through the provinces of Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. In October floodwaters reached the Chao Phraya and inundated parts of the capital city of Bangkok. Flooding persisted in some areas until mid-January 2012, and resulted in a total of 815 deaths (with 3 missing) and 13.6 million people affected. Sixty-five of Thailand's 77 provinces were declared flood disaster zones, and over 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) of farmland was damaged.[1] The disaster has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected."
The World Bank has estimated 1,425 billion baht (US$ 45.7 Bn) in economic damages and losses due to flooding, as of 1 December 2011.[2][3] Most of this was to the manufacturing industry, as seven major industrial estates were inundated by as much 3 meters (10 feet) during the floods.[4] Disruptions to manufacturing supply chains affected regional automobile production and caused a global shortage of hard disk drives, which is expected to last throughout 2012.
The World Bank's estimate for this disaster means it ranks as the world's fourth costliest disaster as of 2011 surpassed only by the 2011 earthquake and tsin unami in Japan, 1995 Kobe earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.[5]
Mae Nam Kong Included our Site Tour Summary
Thailand's southern provinces also saw seasonal flash-flooding towards the end of the year, although these did not occur in the same extreme nature as in the more northern provinces.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Background
* 2 Flooding timeline
o 2.1 Northeast
o 2.2 South
* 3 Flooding in and around Bangkok
o 3.1 Timeline of protecting downtown Bangkok
* 4 Mitigation and relief efforts
o 4.1 Disputes
o 4.2 Issues with car owners
o 4.3 Communication deficiencies
* 5 Damage
o 5.1 Damages to industrial estates and global supply shortages
o 5.2 Impacts of flood on other countries
o 5.3 Damage to tourism
o 5.4 Sanitation concerns
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links
[edit] Background
Topographical map of Thailand: Tributaries of the Chao Phraya flow from the mountainous northern region to join in the central plains, where it flows southwards into the Gulf of Thailand; the northeastern plateau is drained by the Chi and the Mun, which flow into the Mekong at the Thai-Lao border.
Various regions of Thailand are prone to seasonal flash-flooding due to their tropical savanna climate. The floods often occur in the North and spread down the Chao Phraya River through the central plains, in the Northeast along the Chi and Mun Rivers flowing into the Mekong, or in the coastal hillsides of the East and South. Remnants of tropical storms that strike Vietnam or the peninsular south commonly increase precipitation, resulting in further risk of flooding. Drainage control systems, including multiple dams, irrigation canals and flood detention basins,[6] have been implemented, but are inadequate to prevent flood damage, especially to rural areas. A lot of effort, including a system of drainage tunnels begun in 2001,[7] has been put into preventing the enormous flooding of the capital city, which lies near the mouth of the Chao Phraya and is prone to flooding, with considerable success, Bangkok having seen only brief and minor flooding since the major flood of 1995. Other regions, however, have experienced severe flooding as recently as 2010.
Ominously, rainfall for March over the area of northern Thailand was an extraordinary 344% above the mean. Bhumibol Dam in particular got 242.8 mm of rain, 224.7 mm above the normal 25.2 mm; since 1 January the dam had accumulated 245.9 mm, 216.0 mm or 186% above normal.[8]
[edit] Flooding timeline
False-colour satellite image showing extent of flooding on 19 October 2011; Water is shown in dark blue.
With the monsoon season well underway in 2011, with noticeable rainfalls started from May, major flooding began as Tropical Storm Nock-ten made landfall in Northern Vietnam, causing heavy precipitation in Northern and Northeastern Thailand and flash flooding in many provinces beginning 31 July.[9][10] Within one week thirteen had been reported dead, with ongoing flooding in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phrae, and Uttaradit in the North, and Bung Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon and Udon Thani in the upper Northeast. The upper-central provinces of Phichit, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai were also flooded as the flooding spread down the overflowing Yom and Nan Rivers. Prachuap Khiri Khan on the gulf coast was also affected.[11]
Flooding was still ongoing by late August, as heavy rains were expected to continue further than usual due to the effect of La Niña. Floodwaters reached 50 cm in downtown Nan and already became the highest recorded in 16 years in Phitsanulok Province, while large areas in the downstream provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Nayok were being increasingly affected and the death toll continued to rise to 37 by 22 August. The Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams were increasing discharge rates to compensate for incoming flow.[12][13]
By 19 September almost all lower central provinces were being affected by flood, i.e. Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi, the last two of which sit on the northern border of Bangkok.[14] Broken floodgates resulted in water from the Chao Phraya flowing through irrigation canals and inundating large areas of paddy fields in Singburi, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya, but lessening the strain on Bangkok as the fields served as water retention areas.[15] Boats were employed to run against the river flow while anchored in an attempt to increase the river's discharge rate.[16]
Satellite photographs showing flooding in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani Provinces in October (right), compared to before the flooding in July (left)
By the beginning of October, most dams were already near- or over-capacity and being forced to increase their rates of discharge, potentially worsening downstream flooding.[17] Flooding in Ayutthaya worsened as flood water entered the city proper, inundating the Ayutthaya Historical Park and forcing evacuations. Barriers protecting industrial estates failed, resulting in flooding of dozens of major factories and country-wide disruption of manufacturing supply chains.[18] In Nakhon Sawan, the sandbag barrier protecting the city was breached, resulting in rapid flooding of the city. Hundreds of patients had to be transferred out of Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan Regional Hospitals by boat as water levels rose over the hospital floors and power supplies and life support systems were disrupted.[19]
[edit] Northeast
Thailand's northeast has three major rivers, the Mekong, and tributaries Mae Mun and Mae Chi, which have all experienced flooding this year. In centrally located Khon Kaen Province alone, floods destroyed close to 350,000 rai (56000 hectares; over 200 square miles) of land, stranding 315 families of Mai Si Wilai village in the middle of the swollen Nong Kong Kaew Lake in Chonnabot District, while in Phra Lap municipality on the outskirts of Khon Kaen city, over 700 displaced residents of Phra Kheu village called the shoulder of a provincial highway home. The provincial Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, normally allocated 50 million Thai baht, was granted an extra 50 million this year and has spent over 80 million to date.[20]
[edit] South
The drama of the flooding around the Bangkok area and its financial costs captured most of the headlines. However, significant flooding occurred in late 2011 in Thailand's southern provinces. Nine provinces were being affected by flash flooding owing to rains that occurred in November 2011. Saba Yoi, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum and Singha Nakhon districts were declared disaster zones after flood waters covered nearly all areas as high as 5 meters deep. More than 159 small and key roads were impassable. Ten other districts were feared at risk of inundation and more rains were expected.[21] Southern coastal areas were also effected by high waves.
[edit] Flooding in and around Bangkok
As floodwaters drained southwards from Ayutthaya, Bangkok was becoming seriously threatened by mid-October. In Pathum Thani Province bordering Bangkok to the north, continuous efforts to reinforce and repair sandbag flood walls were undertaken to prevent the Chao Phraya and Rangsit Canals from overflowing into Bangkok. Several districts in eastern Bangkok which lie outside Bangkok's flood wall, as well as parts of the surrounding Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao and Nakhon Pathom Provinces, became flooded as water was diverted from the Chao Phraya to the Nakhon Nayok River and outlying canals.[22]
The 2-metre-high inundation has affected the Rangsit campus of Thammasat University in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok.
As flood barriers in Pathum Thani failed, even more industrial estates as well as suburban residential areas became flooded.[23] Parts of the Phahon Yothin Highway leading out of Bangkok became inaccessible, causing severe traffic jams on alternative routes.[24] Disruption of a barrier protecting the Khlong Prapa water supply canal early on 20 October allowed floodwaters to enter the canal and rapidly flow down to Sam Sen in central Bangkok, overflowing and flooding several areas along the banks. Although the breach was controlled, residents panicked and have illegally parked cars on flyovers and parts of the elevated expressway.[25]
The entire Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, serving as the largest evacuation centre, has incurred 2-metre-high inundation. Water forced its final examinations scheduled to be held in the last week of September, and the next semester expected to be started in November, to be postponed for three times. It is announced on 9 November that the said final examinations are rescheduled to the last week of January, 2012, while the next semester is to begin on and from 9 January 2012.[26]
As the situation continued, several floodgates controlling the Rangsit/Raphiphat canal system became overwhelmed and were forced to release water towards more residential areas. Residents of several districts of Bangkok, especially those bordering Pathum Thani, have been told to prepare for flooding.[citation needed]
Satellite image showing the submerged runway complex of Don Mueang Airport
The Chao Phraya River watershed drains an area of 157,924 square kilometres (60,975 sq mi).[27] This entire area drains towards Bangkok and eventually empties into the sea. The Chao Phraya River itself, and pumping stations around Bangkok drain approximately 420,000,000 square metres (4.5×109 sq ft) per day. However, the releases from the dams upstream of Bangkok coupled with additional rainfalls, led to estimates that 16,000,000,000 cubic metres (5.7×1011 cu ft) of flood waters must be drained.[28] This flow that headed toward Bangkok equates to 16 cubic kilometres (3.8 cu mi). Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department predicted, provided there is no new rains, it would take 30 to 45 days for this amount of water to get to the sea. [28]
Until the water flows out to sea, it must go somewhere. This meant flooding in any unprotected low lands. The amount of land inundated, and the height of peak flood waters has been difficult to project for three reasons.
* The exact amount of flood water flowing towards Bangkok was an estimate.
* Flood waters into the Bangkok area don't arrive all at the same time.
* The amount of land area that flood waters can occupy before reaching the sea is variable depending on how well barriers hold.
[edit] Timeline of protecting downtown Bangkok
This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (January 2012)
* 28 November 2011 – Downtown Bangkok appears to have been successfully defended from inundation and flood waters in most areas were draining. This said, residents in areas that remained flooded were growing more impatient. Sandbag walls were being sabotaged and sluice gate levels changed. Residents in some areas were said to be "poised to revolt".[29]
* 27 November 2011 – Many neighborhoods in outer Bangkok remained inundated. Residents in flooded areas were coping with stagnant waters that had become breeding grounds for swarms of insects.[30]
* 22 November 2011 – Siri Suparathit of the Rangsit University Center on Climate Change and Disaster reported steady decreasing levels of flood waters in most areas around Bangkok and that even if the big bag wall was breached more there "will be no problem". However, an estimated 20 million cubic meters of water per day still overflow from the Chao Phraya river and will keep some areas north of downtown Bangkok flooded into December 2011. '[31]
* 14 and 18 November 2011 – More areas of big bag walls protecting unflooded areas of Bangkok were torn down by up to 2000 residents tired of high flood waters in their area. Jate Sopitpongstorn, advisor to Bangkok's governor, said "It’s a big concern because there is such a large amount of water yet to come in."[32]
* 14 November 2011 – In apparent direct defiance of Prime Minister Yingluck, Don Muang about 200 residents removed more sand bags from a barrier that was described as one of the last lines of defense preventing water from flowing into Bangkok's upper districts.[33]
* 12 November 2011 – Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck said overall the situation in Bangkok was improving. However, "she declined to say how far the flood water would stray into inner Bangkok and whether the Bangchan Industrial Estate will be safe." This question required more evaluation and that effectiveness of flood control efforts was not a certainty. Drainage in Western Bangkok required more improvement and the coming high tides of mid-November were still a concern.[34]
* 10 November 2011 – Public official Chavalit Chatararatt, in a live televised analysis, predicted that Bangkok will be dry by 20 November 2011 provided all conditions are right.[35]
* 10 November 2011 – The Thai Irrigation Department reported Bangkok flood waters could be drained in 11 days. Spokesman Mr Boonsanong dismissed reports the city could be hit by more waters from the North. Floodwater was described as being 1 km from Rama 2 Road and the situation "hard to predict".[36]
* 9 November 2011 – Flooding still had not reached downtown Bangkok, however, yet another dire prediction was made. This one was by Graham Catterwell in The National. While he concedes it is hard to get a clear picture and he hopes flooding will not occur, that a city-wide deluge is inevitable.[37]
* According to Catterwell's prediction made 9 November 2011. Parts of central Eastern Bangkok – notably (in sequence) Bangkapi, Ramkahhaeng Road, Srinakharin Road, and Phetburi Road – look sure to be under water by early next week. After Phetburi Road goes under, it will not take long for these waters to flow to Sukhumvit and the rest of downtown Bangkok.
* Also on 9 November 2011 Flood Relief Operations Command (FROC) director, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok stated water was moving underground through the city's sewers and he could not say if the heart of the capital and Rama 2 Road would be inundated.[38] Rama 2 Road as of 9 November 2011 was the last remaining route open to Southern Thailand and vital to supply cities with goods made in the Bangkok area.
* 6 November 2011 – Khomsan Maleesee, of the KMITL's Faculty of Engineering, stated The promise that the 20 districts in Bangkok that remain dry would not flood was now hardly credible.[39]
Other experts have disagreed however, it is important that disagreements be noted by time and date since opinions may change. On 1 November 2011 flooding in downtown Bangkok was seen as unlikely according to Dr Anond Snidvongs.[40]
* 8 November 2011 – Todd Pitman, writing for the Associated Press reported Top officials and experts have given varying estimates of how much Bangkok would flood and how long the threat would loom over the city.[41]
[edit] Mitigation and relief efforts
Temporary shelter was provided at stadiums, universities, schools and government buildings.
Centralized flood monitoring and relief operations began in mid-August. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, appointed early-August, made tours of flood provinces beginning 12 August and assigned cabinet members and members of parliament to visit affected people, pledging support to local administration organizations.[42] The 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide was set up on 20 August under the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of the Ministry of Interior to coordinate warning and relief efforts.[43] The government also allocated extra flood-relief budgets to the affected provinces.[44] The Prime Minister has also pledged to invest in long-term prevention projects, including the construction of drainage canals.
The armed forces have been mobilized to distribute aid to affected people, and civilian groups and organizations are also involved, with volunteers packing sustenance kits and delivering aid to some areas. A Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) has been set up at Don Mueang Airport to coordinate the delivery of aid, superseding the Emergency Operation Center because it could not exercise adequate authority. The stadium at Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University is serving as a shelter for evacuees, mostly from Ayutthaya. However, many people in the flooded areas are refusing to leave their homes for fear of looting.
China,[45] Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and New Zealand[46] have pledged support and assistance for relief operations.[citation needed]
On 16 October 2011, the USS George Washington (CVN-73) aircraft carrier, as well as several other United States Navy ships were deployed to Thailand to assist in relief work. It was not clear to the US government whether or not the Thai government required US naval assistance due to mixed signals from the Thai government. An anonymous US defense official said that they were "ready to help but we haven't got a request." Then Captain John Kirby of the USS Mustin, docked at Port Laem Chabang on a routine visit, said Thailand asked the warship to prolong its stay at the port for up to six days for assistance in aerial surveillance of the extent the flooding; the Pentagon said two Seahawk helicopters aboard would conduct the reconnaissance.[47]
[edit] Disputes
Sandbag barriers were constructed to control flooding, with limited success.
On a national level the largest dispute is whether the dams that store waters upstream of Bangkok were mismanaged.
The size and scope of the 2011 flood can, in part, be attributed to the low rainfalls of the 2010 monsoon season. Dam levels hit record lows on June 2010.[48] The evidence shows that early in the season the dams collected large amounts of water building reserves and buffering early flooding.[48] The scale of the rainfalls of 2011 is evidenced by the amount of waters collected behind Bhumibol Dam. Over 8 billion cubic meters of water were collected in 3 months filling this dam to 100%.[49] Once at capacity, continuing rains forced officials to increase flows from the dams despite increasing flooding and this led to accusations that the dams were mismanaged early in the monsoon season.[50] However, the counter argument is that had the monsoon season for 2011 been short and the dam levels not built, up that even lower levels than 2010 would have been mismanagement too.
As the flooding threat against Bangkok increased, discontent with the government response and the FROC has mounted. The government has been criticized for underestimating the extent of flooding, giving mixed or conflicting information, and not giving adequate warnings. Failure of government units to share data and cooperate have been reported as contributing to the problem. Administers of the FROC and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have been criticized for playing politics and refusing to cooperate at the expense of the general population.
Copying the technique suggested by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to help quicken the flow of water through the much shallower Khlong Lad Pho canal, Yingluck placed hundreds of boats in the Chao Phraya River to accelerate the flow and drainage of the basin.[51] Yingluck was criticized for this by Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, who called the operation a "waste of time" as there were high sea tide at the time.[52] Smith Dharmasarojana, former Director-General of the Meteorological Department and Chairman of the National Disaster Warning Council Foundation, also criticized the operation, claiming that "accelerating boats in the middle of the wide Chao Phraya River is a waste because they propel only the water on the surface."[53] However, others have countered that boats wouldn't move forward unless they propelled water backwards.[54] The middle ground to this dispute is that the overall power of the Chao Phraya River is tremendous compared to the additional power added to it by the engines of the boats. Later on 5 December 2011, the King was present at a public ceremony held on his 84th birthday anniversary, attended also by the senior public officers and live broadcast throughout the Nation. He gave a public speech a part of which was: "...Especially, the people are now suffering from the inundation. Every person is obliged to together and without delay cope with this public danger. And all projects I have suggested, such as the project on permanent management of water, are merely an advice, not an order. The persons concerned must think twice [about them]..."[55]
Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a member of the opposition party to the current government and Democrat Governor of Bangkok, apparently seized the flood as an opportunity to grandstand and made comments such as "please believe me and only me", and 800,000 sandbags provided by the federal government were of questionable construction. "Once I saw these paper bags I was in shock” he said, refusing the sandbags. In response, the government released photos of the bags, construction details, and suggested that the Governor was perhaps ill-advised by a third party in an attempt to allow him to save some face.[56][57]
The use of flood barriers has resulted in multiple disputes between people on the different sides; those on the flooded side being angry that they were unfairly affected, and often attempting to sabotage the barriers, sometimes resulting in armed confrontation. Farmers in Phichit Province, among others, fought over the maintenance of sandbag barriers and sluice gates.[12][13] Residents in areas outlying Bangkok are also dissatisfied that their homes are flooded while Bangkok is being protected.[58] Arguments over the construction of the controversial Kaeng Suea Ten Dam have also risen.
Local resistance to the building and maintenance of flood barriers has disrupted government work in several instances. Residents in some areas have sabotaged barriers and threatened government workers with firearms.[citation needed]
[edit] Issues with car owners
Car wrecks after the flood
Since the flood had arrived at Pathumthani province, the media presented flood-related news more frequently and made car owners in Bangkok and nearby precincts panic. Many designated car parks were full at that time. Therefore, a lot of them had chosen to park their vehicles on expressways, intersections or anywhere they perceived would not get flooded. This aggravated traffic problems and there were several unreported accidents. No deaths had been reported.[59][60][61][62]
[edit] Communication deficiencies
One notable error in communications between Thai medias and foreign companies was the lack of information in English. Japan's Toshiba says, "it is critical for the government to provide more accurate flood information and implement long-term prevention measures."[63] The other foreign investors also shared this anxiety. Another notable example of insufficient communication was with Rohm Integrated Systems, one of the largest Japanese semiconductor manufacturers who had a manufacturing plant in Navanakorn. The company received very little information about the flood and could not move critical equipment in time.[64]
[edit] Damage
Multiple industrial estates were badly affected by flooding, resulting in manufacturing disruptions and global supply shortages.
The flooding has been described as "the worst flooding yet in terms of the amount of water and people affected".[65] As of 6 November, flooding has affected 3,151,224 people from 1,154,576 families, with 506 deaths and 2 missing persons reported by the 24/7 Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide (EOC).[66] Damage estimates of at least 185 billion Baht by the latest estimation by Federation of Thai Industry (Central region section) which includes 95 billion Baht damage on Thai industry, 25 billion Baht damage on Thai Agriculture and 65 billion Baht damage on the housing in the communities and suburb villages.[67] A large part of the damage stems from the effect on the manufacturing industry, with 930 factories in 28 provinces affected, including multiple industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani Provinces which have been flooded. The flooding has been estimated to result in decrease 0.6 to 0.9 percent in economic growth.[68] Schools, 1,053 of which have been affected as of 19 September, were forced to end the term early.[14]
Employment has been hurt when factories flooded and workers were laid off or fired. Not all factories are expected to reopen causing significant long term job loss in Central Thailand.
Thailand accounts for about 30 percent of global trade in rice and 25 percent of the main crop is not expected to survive being flooded.[69] On the other side of the world rice farmers in Arkansas, that usually account for 42 percent of U.S. output, also were flooded early this year, and then faced drought reducing their crop by 32 percent according to the USDA.[70] Combined, these two events will have a global impact on rice prices for all. Within Thailand, where rice farmers do not typically have much reserve capital, effects on farmers will be felt the greatest since they lost both their investment in the current crop and must wait to earn money when flood waters recede before planting a new one.
[edit] Damages to industrial estates and global supply shortages
On 8 October 2011 the 10 metre high water blockage in Nikom Rojna industrial estate, which housed many manufacturing plants, had collapsed.[16] The strong current had interfered with reconstruction efforts and resulted in the whole area being non-operational. One of the major manufacturing plants, Honda, was left virtually inaccessible.[71]
Thailand is the world's 2nd largest producer of hard disk drives accounting for approximately 25% of the world's production.[72] Many of the factories that make hard disk drives have been flooded, including Western Digital's, leading some industry analysts to predict future worldwide shortages of hard disk drives.[73][74] Western Digital was able to get one of their plants, that was flooded on 15 October 2011, back up and running on 30 November 2011. Some operations were expected to take longer to recover and another plant as of 2 December 2011 was still under 2 feet of water. Western Digital's flood related costs were estimated at between US$225–$275 million, however, an insurance claim of US$50 million for property damage, and another claim for business interruption will help lower the net impact.[75]
[edit] Impacts of flood on other countries
The economies of other countries besides Thailand will be significantly impacted by the flood. The country that will be hardest hit is Japan.[76] Japanese firms with plants in Thailand include Toyota, Honda, Hitachi, and Canon. One analyst predicted the profits of one firm, Toyota, may be cut by ¥200 billion (US$2.5 billion). Worker incomes in Thailand and Japan are also impacted.[76]
For some firms and countries the impact may not be all negative. For example Thailand is a major exporter of seafood and countries like India will have firms that gain as they step to fill in the void.[77]
Thailand's flood helped contribute to a total estimated US$259 billion in economic losses for the first nine months of 2011. These losses represented 80% of the world's total economic losses and the insurance industry has responded by raising rates in some areas between 50 and 200 percent or by outright not accepting new clients in Asia.[78]
[edit] Damage to tourism
In early November 2011, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suraphon Svetasreni, projected a combined loss as high as US$825 million owing to reduced international and national tourism. TAT projected that between 220,000 and 300,000 visitors would cancel their trip.[79]
Tourism numbers had been running higher than 2010 up till the end of October 2011. Arrivals at Bangkok's airport were up 6.7 percent compared to October 2010 and same month last year, Phuket arrivals were up 28.5 percent.[79]
The TAT wanted tourists to know tourist destinations such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Pai, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Pattaya, Sattahip, Chonburi, Chantaburi, Petchburi, Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang, Satun, Hat Yai, Rayong, Trat, Chumphon, Ranong, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui had not been affected by flood at all. If a section of Bangkok became temporarily inaccessible, visitors still had other options.
This said, concerns about the ability to continue food supplies to some areas was evident in the papers. Some retailers in Phuket were scrambling in October 2011 to establish alternatives when their regular distribution centers were flooded.[80] An added concern became even more pressing when it became clear on 7 November 2011 that Rama II Road, the last open link to the South, was expected to flood. To off set this risk, plans were announced to mobilize teams to reclaim Highway 340 that in parts was under up to a meter of water.[81]
[edit] Sanitation concerns
Effects of the trash and sewage within the waters are expected to peak when waters subside leaving behind stagnant pools of water. A spokesman for UNICEF encouraged everyone to stay out of the waters as much as possible.[82] Since a household sanitation system won't operate under flood water, individuals that remained in flooded areas, both exposed themselves to risks, and increased the risks for those living downstream by continuing to generate more sewage and trash in waters carried downstream.
[edit] See also
* 2010 Thai floods
* 2011 Southeast Asian floods
* 2011 Southern Thailand floods
[edit] References
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2011)
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[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2011 Thailand floods
* Thai Meteorological Department: Rainfall and severe flooding over Thailand in 2011
* A comprehensive collection of published news following the flooding from September 2011: Thailand Floods, 2011 (#ThaiFloodEng)
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Categories:
* 2011 floods
* Floods in Thailand
* 2011 in Thailand
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