Flooding in Thailand

Jeff Yattaw

Thailand has seen some of it’s worst flooding in fifty years during this year’s monsoon season. Although this year’s monsoon season has been usually heavy, water experts are blaming human activity for the disasters and flooding Thailand has seen so far his season. Experts are blaming the flooding on deforestation, overbuilding in tourist areas, the damming and diversion of natural waterways, increasing urbanization, and the filling-in of canals. All of these causes are human processes in one way or another and these causes, combined with poor planning, are what have triggered the worst flooding in Thailand in over a half a century. The flooding throughout Thailand has not only affected the human population but rice terraces, which are an important piece of agriculture in the region, have been destroyed by mudslides caused by the flooding and quick flowing water. Also, certain groups of elephants in the area are being threatened by the flooding as well and food for the animals is almost impossible to find and rescue teams are too busy dealing with people at this current stage to help feed and rescue elephants in the region. Experts in meteorology have blamed the flooding on bad water management as they must have miscalculated water levels and did not discharge water from the dams early enough and as they fill up now, they discharge water at the same time as it all flows down into low lying areas which is the root for the flooding. The flooding is creeping in on the city of Bangkok, which is in trouble as the canals are clogged with garbage and other debris, as the city has been experiencing overcrowding of late.

The problem that Thailand is facing now is another example of the struggle of coexistence between humans and nature. As the human population develops and prospers, integral pieces of nature are being destroyed which at the time doesn’t appear problematic, but nature is a very unique process as everything in nature is interrelated and reliant on each other. The deforestation of wooded areas for the building of cities is certainly going to have a trickle-down affect on the nature around the area as it has been destroyed or disturbed by human processes. The floods in Thailand are a perfect example of this affect and it will continue to happen as long as human advancement is a priority over nature and the natural habitat in which we operate and interact with the natural world.

All info came from:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/world/asia/a-natural-disaster-in-thailand-guided-by-human-hand.html?ref=science