A majority of people are confident that all dams in Thailand are solid and strong. believing they were designed properly and built by engineers with expertise in their field, according to an opinion survey carried out by the National Institute for Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted on Aug 8-10 on 1,260 people - aged 18 and above of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country - to gauge their confidence in Thailand's flood management procedures and the strength of existing dams.
Asked whether they have been affected by flooding this year, a large majority - 87.14% - said "no" while 12.26% said "yes."
Asked what they think are the principal causes of flooding in Thailand, 45.63% blamed excessive rain; 43.17% on destruction of forests; 30.30% on expansion of residential areas and destruction of natural waterways; 28.10% on inefficient management on the part of the government; 12.94% on the many low-lying areas on river basins; 0.79% on other causes, including inadequate dam capacity; and 0.56% were uncertain or had no comment.
Asked about the strength of existing dams in Thailand, 78.73% said they are confident the dams have the required strength to hold water as they have been designed and built by engineers with expertise in the field; 17.30% said they are not confident, since dams are subject to natural deterioration and natural disasters are unpredictable; and 3.97% were uncertain or had no comment.
A majority of the respondents, 63.64%, think government agencies are capable of handling water management; 33.34% said they still lack efficiency in this field; and 3.02% were uncertain or had no comment.