The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has warned people to prepare for a drought by saving water due to risks posed by the El Nino phenomenon since July, resulting in less rainfall than is commonly experienced at this time of year.
Speaking after meeting with representatives of water-related agencies such as the Department of Royal Irrigation, the Department of Water Resources, Thai Meteorological Department and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), ONWR secretary-general Surasee Kittimonthon said the office has set up a plan to respond to any potential drought crisis that may occur, especially during a period of intermittent rain in August.
He said the national committee on water resources has agreed with the plan, which identifies those areas that would bear the brunt of a drought and has arranged what tools and machines would be needed to assist while also marking out new water sources in case of emergencies.
"We have prepared the plan so that we will have enough water for the whole year. However, we may still experience a drought," Mr Surasee said.
"So we hope the public does its bit by helping to save water. We will closely monitor the situation so immediate action can be taken, if needed, to limit any damage."
Regarding this year's rainfall, he said the rainy season is expected to start in the middle of May or one week later than normal.
In early May, the amount of rainfall should be congruent with previous years. But from June to July, it is expected to drop by 10% compared to the norm.
The nation can generally expect lower than average amounts of rainfall in the coming months, especially in the Central region and Isan, Mr Surasee said.
A tropical storm is likely this month, he noted.
