As the threat of prolonged drought becomes imminent, questions mount over whether the country needs new water management in order to better deal with the “new normal” of water scarcity.
Late last month, the government told rice farmers in the Central region to skip off-season harvesting as the water levels in major dams such as the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams are still at record-low levels. It is expected that rice fields in the Central region, dubbed the country’s rice bowl, will still be dry when next year’s rice-planting season arrives.
Experts have warned that the weather pattern in Thailand has entered a new phase known as the “new normal”, characterised by frequent, more severe and unseasonal floods and droughts. “We will see the country face severe floods and drought at the same time and they will be more frequent, more mercurial,” said Lersak Rewtrakulpaiboon, secretary-general of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s Office of Agricultural Economics at a forum on the drought crisis held at Kasetsart University.
Amid drought concerns, some cautioned that the old, centralised water management that is based on increasing water supply may not be enough to cope with the drastic weather pattern changes.
“The change is beyond building water management infrastructure. It’s more about ‘soft solutions’ such as adaptation to drought and land-zoning based on water management. Building reservoirs might not be the answer as rain might not fall in the places we want. It is time for the country to think about making structural changes for better water management,” Assoc Prof Suwatana Chittaladakorn, who teaches at the Faculty of Engineering’s Department of Water Resources Engineering at Kasetsart University.
Structural changes — reforms to water management law and water management agencies — that were mentioned by Assoc Prof Suwatana, are part of the recommendations on water resource management proposed by a sub-panel on water resources under the now-defunct National Reform Council (NRC).
On top of the recommendations is the need for a water law that stipulates decentralisation in water management, especially for populations living in water basins, and empowerment of 25 water basin committees. The law is to replace a bill drafted in 1990 — now being revised by the Department of Water Resources under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment — which maintains the power of water management in the hands of the state, mainly the Royal Irrigation Department and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
“We need to think of water management in terms of river basins and inter-basin management. Local communities must have a say on how to manage water within their basins and negotiate with those in other water basins in case there is a need to divert or release water to and from other basin areas,” says Harnnarong Yaowalers, veteran conservationist, also a former NRC member.
Another recommendation is the formation of the national water resource management board, which would come under the Office of the Prime Minister. This board will have a higher status or at least be equal to ministry level.
Mr Harnnarong says the national water board will be similar to the National Economic and Social Development Board. “But this board will not only draft a national master plan, it will have a duty to oversee all budgets on water management, 25 water basin committees and the use of a water fund. The Irrigation Department and other agencies will only follow policies guided by this board. The board will eliminate the redundancy and lack of coordination among water management agencies in Thailand.”
The Water Fund will be supported by water fees from major consumers such as industrial and commercial sectors. The fund will provide compensation for those who have to give up their rights to use water such as farmers, or communities whose land or water resources are affected. The fund would ensure water justice such as compensation for farmers who give up their right to harvest during droughts, or to communities that sacrifice their land or water resources. Part of the fund will go to studies on water management and conservation.
What will happen if the authorities refuse to change?
Nipon Poapongsakorn, distinguished scholar at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), foresees worsening water problems and more serious social problems. “Water shortages will aggravate social injustice and conflicts as people struggle to gain more access to water. There will be disputes over water between the farm sector and industrial sector in which the industrialists will have advantages from higher bargaining power to access more water.”
Indeed, there is a need for new agricultural and economic policies that encourage some farmers to change professions, as it is no longer possible for farmers to enjoy abundant water supplies like in the past.
“In the future, farmers should cultivate plants that consume less water and they also need to use their land for raising chickens, fish and other vegetables to get more alternative income,” he urged.
The future is clear. Thailand will face more drought as a result of climate change. Cash crops that rely on water such as rice, corn and sugar cane will be seriously affected. Authorities need to adapt to the new normal by decentralising water management. But that is not going to happen anytime soon as authorities are still fixed on holding on tight to their old water management power.
Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.