On April 1, California governor Jerry Brown announced the first ever state-wide water use restrictions, issuing an executive decree mandating a 25% reduction of urban water use. At the time of the imposition of the restrictions, California was in the middle of severe drought with snowpack, the source of water in the state, reduced to about 6% of what is normally available.
In Thailand, however, no restriction has been imposed on urban water use or even considered by the government despite the warning from the Royal Irrigation Department that the amount of usable water in the country's four major dams, namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Pasak Jolasid and Khwae Noi, that can be released downstream will last until mid-August.
Many rural inhabitants in the Northeast, northern and Central provinces are running out of water for consumption, never mind agriculture. The military has to step in to help ease their hardship by supplying them with water from water trucks. But demand appears to be much greater than supply.
- COMMENTARY: Water cuts must apply to all
The first group of people made to sacrifice so there is enough water for city dwellers such as Bangkok residents for consumption - quite freely and wastefully, too - are the farmers. Second crop farming has been banned because there will be no water for them. Even for the main crop which has already been cultivated, water discharged from the main dams is meant for consumption as top priority.
To help ease their hardships, the government has meted out several remedial measures such as interest suspension for those who have debts with state-owned banks and assistance for those who want to shift to other crops which need less water.
With the amount of usable water from the four major dams expected to last until mid-August and with little prospect for enough rain to replenish the shrinking reservoirs as predicted by Mr Anond Snidvongs, executive director of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, it is not an overstatement to say we are in the middle of water crisis. Mr Anond said seasonal rains which are expected later this month would be short-lived because El Nino and the drought will return with a vengeance and will be more serious next year. He warned that farming may not be possible next year.
Despite all the negative signs pointing toward the worst yet come, the government needs to look ahead and plan for the worst case scenario.
There are a few important questions which are yet to be answered by the government. What's next if the usable water from the four dams runs out and there is not enough rain? We cannot pin our hope on Mother Nature, which is difficult to predict.
The current acute water shortage is indeed a crisis and warrants the setting up of a crisis management team to cope with the problem. But the main focus now should be the current and immediate crisis and government needs to do more.
It is unfair for the poor such as rice farmers to sacrifice and suffer while industries and urban dwellers, especially Bangkokians who, by average, are financially better off than the farmers, are given the privilege to continue using water as normal.
For a start, the government needs to promote greater awareness among urban Thais to be frugal in their use of water.
A public campaign through radio, newspapers, television and social media will certainly get the message across. Such a campaign should not be limited to households but include factories and industry. The government should also consider the possibility of rationing or restricting the use of water. This may be inevitable if the rains don't come by mid-August as we all hope.