Lessons to be learned from SE Asia floods

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, greets flood-affected people housed in tents in a sports hall at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Photograph: Barbara Walton/EPA

Severe flooding has caused serious damage across south-east Asia, affecting around 9 million people. Thailand has been better placed to cope than its neighbours

Agapot squats-down next to his green dome tent, pitched inside a sports hall in Chonburi, an hour south of Bangkok. He's a 24-year-old factory worker left with no home and no job after the worst floods to hit Thailand for more than 50 years.

"The factory announced a three-day holiday when the floods hit," he said. "But since then we've heard nothing." He has been living in an emergency evacuation centre for over a month now, after fleeing from his family home in northern Bangkok when a canal burst its banks. "The current was so strong I couldn't stand up properly," he said. They didn't have enough time to rescue any belongings, and the house is now submerged up to the ceiling. Twenty members of his family and close neighbours are camping in the gym, along with hundreds of other evacuees from the capital.

They are some of the estimated 9 million people affected by the severe flooding that has caused serious damage across south-east Asia. Thailand has been worst hit – with more than a third of provinces flooded, parts of the capital under water and nearly 600 dead. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) estimates that 250 people have died in Cambodia after heavy monsoon rains led to the country's worst floods in a decade. Vietnam, Burma and the Philippines have also seen more than 100 dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced.

As the waters gradually recede, attention is now turning to the post-flood effects on the countries. Thailand is better placed to cope than its neighbours. There have already been reported outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne infections in Cambodia. Many evacuees have been forced to bed down on plastic sheets laid on muddy ground close to livestock and pets – leading to serious risks of disease.

Thailand, with well-equipped evacuation centres – staffed by medical personnel and bustling with volunteers handing out regular meals – faces different challenges. Widespread urban flooding in a developed capital city like Bangkok is "pretty much unprecedented", according to Mark Thomas, Unicef's chief of communications. The floods have shut down factories, affected large numbers of small businesses, and disrupted national and international supply chains – leaving tens of thousands of workers like Agapot jobless.
The country's important tourism industry is also suffering. Arrivals to the international airport, Suvarnabhumi, outside Bangkok, are down 25%, even though the airport and tourist areas in the south have been unaffected by the floods. With damage to industry, tourism and agriculture, the Thai chamber of commerce estimates the total flood costs will be around $11bn.

The government has announced a compensation scheme for households affected by flooding. However, a Bangkok Post investigation found the process for claiming was long and bureaucratic – with families needing documents that many had lost in the floods. Mol Plungjamras, a Bangkok resident, had mixed feelings about the plan: "[The money's] not enough to renovate the house, but it's better than nothing," she said.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, visiting Thailand last week, said he had, "emphasised the importance of learning lessons from this mega flooding". Ban was en route to the Durban climate change conference where he is calling for a $100bn fund to help developing countries mitigate the impact of global warming.

While individual events such as the flooding in south-east Asia can't be causally linked to climate change, they do demonstrate the impact that an increased frequency of weather extremes will have on countries in the region. With sea level rises also likely to present a serious risk of urban flooding around the world, Bangkok's experience could serve as a template for future disaster management.

Unicef's Thomas said so far he'd been impressed by the government's response. "Given the amount of water, the authorities have done a pretty good job," he said. However, the real test will begin when the flood waters start to recede and those displaced have to return home.

Agapot is currently satisfied with the evacuation provision, but he is worried about the future. "We need government support, money and jobs," he said. For a country struggling with the aftermath of urban "mega-flooding", his expectations will provide a real challenge for the Thai administration to meet.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/nov/25/lessons-learned-asia-floods-thailand

Southeast Asia floods take 1,000 lives

A flood victim takes refuge with his family and pets on the elevated grounds of the Wat Ta Krai temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand (Reuters)

At least one thousand people have died in massive floods across Southeast Asia in recent months, according to an AFP tally on Thursday, and millions of homes and livelihoods have been destroyed.
The death toll in Thailand — grappling with its worst floods in half a century — has reached 533, the government said, and the slowly advancing waters are now threatening the heart of Bangkok, a city of 12 million people.
In neighbouring Cambodia, the most severe floods in over a decade have killed 248 people, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest flood report. Vietnam’s government has reported at least 100 deaths, including many children, in southern and central parts of the country.
At least 106 people died in flash floods caused by heavy storms in central Burma in late October, a government official in the military-dominated country told AFP at the time, on condition of anonymity.
In the tiny nation of Laos, 30 people lost their lives in the floods, according to OCHA. The UN body, which does not include Burma in its flood updates, also reported 98 deaths in the Philippines.

Source: http://www.dvb.no/news/southeast-asia-floods-take-1000-lives/18661

Daunting environmental costs

The toxic legacy of the worst flood in Thai history will remain long after the waters have receded.

This year's unusually long rainy season has left many parts of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia inundated and has resulted in the worst flooding crisis in Thailand, in the last 50 years. Provinces in the Central Plains and many districts in the north, east and west of Bangkok are now under water. The huge volume of water is such that flood levels are three metres deep in some areas.

The flood’s impact is more than just damages to homes and disrupting the way of life. It entails waste contamination on a grand scale.

Towns, villages, historic temples, paddy fields, industrial estates, factories, landfills, water treatment plants, airports and other infrastructure have all been inundated. The social and economic costs of the disaster will be daunting.
So far, the death toll in Thailand has surpassed 500.
At least seven major industrial parks in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani have been submerged. Two major eastern industrial estates _ Lat Krabang and Bang Chan _ have been heavily reinforced with sandbags to protect the facilities and infrastructure therein.
While the government deals with the immediate crisis and puts in place plans for the eventual rehabilitation of the flood-damaged industrial estates and other infrastructure, the environmental pollution has been largely overlooked.
Deluge water is not only floodwater. Indeed, significant amounts of industrial waste, hazardous substances, raw sewage and miscellaneous toxic chemicals have been released into the environment as a result of the flooding and these will have an immediate negative impact on water quality and human health.
The floods will also have a toxic legacy in the form of soil, sediment and groundwater contamination, which will continue to represent a risk to human health and the environment long after the floodwaters have receded.
Groundwater resources may be contaminated by toxic chemicals and harmful pathogens such as faecal coliforms and E-coli that can enter aquifers directly via groundwater abstraction wells and indirectly via downward percolation of contaminated waters through the soil profile. Toxic chemicals and harmful pathogens may also be absorbed by soil particles and trapped in pore spaces within the soil matrix itself. Exposure to these contaminated soils and groundwater can represent a serious risk to the health of exposed individuals.
Contaminants can also leach out of river sediments and be transferred up the food chain via the aquatic ecosystem. Consumption of affected species such as freshwater shrimp and fish represents a potential hazard to human health.
Inundated buildings also provide a breeding ground for harmful moulds and fungi. Moulds are ubiquitous in the biosphere but when mould spores are present in abnormally high quantities, they can pose a threat to humans by causing allergic reactions, asthma episodes, fungal infections such as mycosis, irritations of the eyes, nose and throat, sinus congestion and other respiratory problems. Moulds excrete toxic compounds called mycotoxins under certain environmental conditions and some mycotoxins can be harmful, even lethal, to humans with high dosage exposure. It is important that buildings that have been inundated are inspected by a specialist for the presence of potentially harmful moulds and fungi once the waters have subsided.
The toxic legacy of the floods may also have financial implications for the owners and occupiers of affected properties such as industrial units when they come to divest of the property or hand back their lease. It is common practice for potential purchasers to conduct environmental due diligence (EDD) to determine the contamination status of the property before finalising any transaction, this is often referred to as an environmental baseline study (EBS). Furthermore, land owners may require lessees to conduct an EBS before they hand back the property to demonstrate that their operations and activities have not resulted in soil or groundwater contamination. These studies are an integral component of the risk and liability management process that accompanies most significant business transactions.
It is common to collect soil and groundwater samples during these studies and submit them for analysis for a range of common contaminants. If contamination is found during this stage of the transaction process it can have significant financial and legal implications for the property owner.
One way to avoid the potential for this situation to arise in the future is to commission a soil and groundwater sampling and testing study as soon as the floodwaters have abated. If contamination is present as a direct result of the floods then the property owner or lessee may be able to claim the costs associated with assessing and cleaning up the contamination from their insurer.

Deluge water is not only floodwater. Significant amounts of industrial waste, hazardous substances, raw sewage and miscellaneous toxic chemicals have been released into the environment as a result of the floods. The government will put an expensive and large-scale restoration in place when the flooding recedes, yet the clear and present danger of environmental pollution has been largely overlooked. Even when an area becomes dry, it may face long-term effects.

PHOTO: THITI WANNAMONTHA
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/feature/environment/265562/daunting-environmental-costs

8 Karen from the Salween River had joined in Bangkok flood relief

8 Karen from the Salween River had joined in Bangkok flood relief.

The 8 Karen had been traveling to Bangkok to help the Bangkoks make simple bamboo rafts. They said "we want to help because we just faced the same situation, landslide due to floods, that happened in Mae Hong Son"  Even they found the restriction on traveling as they are "stateless people" and had no money for donation. So that they devoted skills and labour to help people who are suffering.

The interview can be found in the 11-minute.

Children main victims of Vietnam floods: UN

Almost all the victims of severe flooding in Vietnam's Mekong Delta were children, the United Nations said on Monday, as the official death toll climbed to 78.

Villagers looking down at their flooded houses from makeshift shelters set up on a mountain in the Tan Hoa commune, in the central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh, in October 2011. Almost all the victims of severe flooding in Vietnam's Mekong Delta were children, the United Nations said on Monday, as the official death toll climbed to 78.

The UN said 65 children under the age of 16 were among those killed by widespread flooding that has inundated much of south and central Vietnam.

"The Mekong floods have caused an alarming number of child fatalities, most of them due to drowning," it said in a statement, announcing it was stepping up its response to the disaster.
Jean Dupraz of the UN Children's Fund in Vietnam said preventing drowning was the agency's priority.
"Populations here have lived along the Mekong River for centuries. Still many children do not know how to swim. And it takes only a few minutes for a child to be swallowed by powerful river streams," he said.
UN agencies, along with Save the Children, have provided a total of more than 9,000 floating school bags and 3,200 life vests to help protect children from drowning.

More than half a million people have seen their homes or livelihoods affected by the rising waters, which have inundated around 140,000 homes.
Unusually heavy monsoon rains have caused devastation across the Mekong region, with more than 500 dead in Thailand's worst flooding in half a century and around 250 killed in Cambodia.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/265237/children-main-victims-of-vietnam-floods-un

Homes at former lakeside flooded

Photo by: Khouth Sophak Chakrya

MONDAY, 07 NOVEMBER 2011 12:02KHOUTH SOPHAK CHAKRYA

A girl stands in floodwaters in a neighbourhood at Boeung Kak lake yesterday.

Several hundred Boeung Kak lake villagers saw their homes flooded in knee-deep water over the weekend as heavy rains continued to pummel the capital.

Mie Mom, a village 20 resident in Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune, said that polluted water flowed up to her knees inside her house on Saturday night and prevented her family from sleeping.

“My village has never flooded like this before,” she said.

Kaon Chhengleang blamed the flooding on blocked irrigation systems caused by the infill of sand by real-estate developer Shukaku Inc.

“The rubbish and the poll-uted waste are pooling in our homes, and it is harmful to our health,” she said.

Kaon Chhengleang said vill-agers were also concerned about their electrical cords, which were dangerously close to being submerged.

Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2011110752575/National-news/homes-at-former-lakeside-flooded.html

Floods show what lies ahead for sinking Bangkok

BANGKOK: The Thai capital, built on swampland, is slowly sinking and the floods currently besieging Bangkok could be merely a foretaste of a grim future as climate change makes its impact felt, experts say.

The low-lying metropolis lies just 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of the Gulf of Thailand, where various experts forecast sea level will rise by 19 to 29 centimetres (7 to 11 inches) by 2050 as a result of global warming.

Water levels would also increase in Bangkok's main Chao Phraya river, which already overflows regularly.

If no action is taken to protect the city, "in 50 years... most of Bangkok will be below sea level," said Anond Snidvongs, a climate change expert at the capital's Chulalongkorn University.

But global warming is not the only threat. The capital's gradual sinking has also been blamed on years of aggressive groundwater extraction to meet the growing needs of the city's factories and its 12 million inhabitants.

As a result Bangkok was sinking by 10 centimetres a year in the late 1970s, according to a study published last year by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

That rate has since dropped to less than one centimetre annually, they said, thanks to government measures to control groundwater pumping.

If those efforts continued, the report authors said, they hoped the subsidence rate could slow by another 10 percent each year.

But Anond disputed their projections, saying Bangkok was still sinking at "an alarming rate" of one to three centimetres per year.

While scientists may argue over the exact figures, they agree about what lies in store for the sprawling megacity.

"There is no going back. The city is not going to rise again," said the ADB's lead climate change specialist David McCauley.

Faced with the combined threats of land subsidence and rising temperatures and sea levels, the World Bank has predicted that Bangkok's flood risk will increase four-fold from now by 2050.

And the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has classified the Thai capital among the 10 cities in the world facing the biggest potential impact from coastal flooding by 2070.

For now, Bangkok is relying on a complex system of dykes, canals, locks and pumping stations to keep the rising waters at bay.

The flood protection efforts, however, failed to prevent an onslaught of run-off water from the north from swamping at least one-fifth of the capital.

The murky floodwaters, triggered by three months of heavy monsoon rains, are edging in on Bangkok's glitzy downtown area, threatening luxury hotels, office buildings and shopping malls.

Rapid urbanisation is one reason why the inundations are affecting the sprawling city so badly, according to experts.

As the area that needs flood protection gets larger and more built-up, the water "has fewer places to go", said Francois Molle, a water management expert at France's Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement.

Molle said that in the long term, Bangkok would eventually be under water.

"The only question is when," said Molle.

Experts say Thai authorities must address the capital's land use and planning challenges and consider relocating factories or industrial parks in flood-prone areas.

Or even moving the entire city.

"It may be appropriate for the people who want to be dry 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to be setting up a new city," said Anond.

"We do have areas where we can develop a new city that would be completely dry. There's a lot of land in this country," he said.

It may sound like a drastic scenario, but there is little doubt that Bangkok will have to act if it wants to avoid the fate of the fabled sunken city of Atlantis.

"To remain where it is, the city will need better protection," said Robert Nicholls, a professor of coastal engineering at Britain's University of Southampton.

He said he expected Bangkok's current flood misery to "trigger massive investment in defences over the next 10 to 20 years".

Dealing with the phenomenon will be expensive elsewhere too. Across the Asia-Pacific region the ADB has estimated it will cost a minimum of $10 billion a year to adapt to climate change.

- AFP/fa

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1163860/1/.html

Floods Inundate Dozens of Houses in Bengkulu District

Mukomuko, Bengkulu. Flood waters triggered by incessant rain since Wednesday have swamped dozens of houses in Mukomuko district, Bengklulu.

“Around 124 houses at three villages in Lubuk Piang subdistrict as of Thursday morning have been inundated by flood waters,” Mukomuko district spokesman Suyoso said on Thursday.

Suyoso said that other nearby villages were also overrun, but the exact number of buildings affected had yet to be confirmed.

“We are still collecting other data because the floods also inundated other villages.”

The only casualties, he said, were a large number of chickens and ducks swept away by the floods.

Antara

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/floods-inundate-dozens-of-houses-in-bengkulu-district/476045

The dos and don'ts

Prolonged flooding is a potential health risk. Here are seven valuable tips:

 Published: 2/11/2011 at 12:00 AM

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/feature/environment/264302/the-dos-and-don-ts

The widespread flooding can be very devastating to people’s health. Everyone can be affected, young or old, even if physically fit. The longer it lasts, the greater the risk of people catching some kind of illness from contaminated water or insect-borne diseases.

PHOTO: JETJARAS NA RANONG

Below are seven ways in which to protect yourself and your family under these grave circumstances.
1 Digestive disorders
Debilitating illnesses in this category include diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid fever, food poisoning and hepatitis A. Any of them can be contacted by drinking contaminated water, or eating food which has been exposed to polluted water or insects.
PREVENTION:
Floodwaters contain many kinds of bacteria, so be careful: Keep it as far away from your mouth as possible.
Be careful washing dishes or cleaning fruit and vegetable as the water might be contaminated. If possible, drink only filtered or bottled water, if not, drink water which has been boiled or treated with chlorine or other purifying chemicals, or rainwater. Only eat food cooked recently. Do not allow flies near your eating or living areas.
Only visit bathrooms with toilets when answering nature’s call or look for places with adequate supply of water; do not use the flood water around your house to dispose of human waste. If there are no toilets, use a plastic bag, seal it tight before throwing it away in a proper receptacle. Wash your hands after using the toilet, and before every meal.
If you have diarrhoea, drink water mixed with sugar, salt and minerals (ORS) until the symptoms are relieved. If the symptoms do not improve or you develop a fever or there’s blood in your stool, consult a doctor.


2 Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

PHOTO: PATTARACHAI PREECHAPANICH

It is caused by bacteria in water which enter the eyes. Symptoms include the eyes turning red, eye pain, burning and tearing sensation.


PREVENTION:
When dirty water enters the eye, you should quickly flush it with clean water. With pink eye the bacteria is contained in tears and nasal mucus: To prevent the disease from spreading, avoid contact with others, and be careful with pillowcases and handkerchiefs. If you suspect you have conjunctivitis, you should consult a doctor immediately.
3 Skin diseases
The most common are foot disease and foot decay caused by bacteria or fungus, which especially like to grow in damp corners of your skin. In the first phase, skin may become inflamed and irritated from contamination. Later, if the skin is wet for an extended period of time, it may begin to rot.
The skin may develop blisters, especially between the toes. These blisters may be itchy and inflammatory. If the blisters open, they may cause additional pain and increase the chances of other infections.
PREVENTION:
After exposure to flood water, wash your skin thoroughly. Pay special attention to your feet. You may want to sprinkle talcum powder for extra dryness and protection. If possible, wear rubber boots with good traction when wading through water. If the skin starts to rot, apply (waxy) skin or foot balm.
If you develop symptoms which do not improve, seek medical advice.
4 Dangerous bites
Floodwaters, especially the stagnant type, bring out insects such as scorpions and centipedes, poisonous snakes and reptiles. These creatures may enter your house or workplace, and hide in dark areas.
PREVENTION:
Moving at night, or through dark areas, or moving furniture or other objects, make sure you carry a torch bright enough to show everything around you. If these animals bite, wrap the area tightly with cloth or rubber straps, and seek immediate medical attention. Occasionally loosen the strap, approximately every 10 minutes, to allow blood flow to the area.
5 Leptospirosis (Weil’s syndrome)
This disease causes malfunction of the liver and kidneys. Symptoms are fever, aching calf muscles, red eyes and jaundice (yellowing of the skin). In addition, the patient may experience swelling of the foot’s instep and skin around the eyes.
It is the result of the skin coming in contact with flood water tainted by rodent urine.
PREVENTION:
Wear adequate protection, such as rubber boots and waterproof jackets, when wading through floodwaters. Rats are the carriers of the disease. If you develop the symptoms, it is important that you quickly see a doctor.
6 Respiratory diseases
Example are flu, tonsillitis and bronchitis which may be contracted by breathing in, or coming in contact with infected drops of mucus, saliva or phlegm. Respiratory diseases are often contacted in congested area and the main symptoms are fever, headache, cough and fatigue.
PREVENTION:
Cover properly to keep yourself warm and sleep enough to stay strong. You should not wear wet clothes and shoes for long periods. If symptoms such as coughing or discoloured phlegm do not improve, consult a doctor.
7 Accident& electrical safety
Common injuries in cities during flooding include:
a)Wound or infection complications caused by injuries from sharp objects: nails, broken glass, tiles, splinters and other broken objects with points and edges.
b)Electrocution: If soaked or standing in water, your body is a good conductor of electric current. If flood water comes in contact with live electrical switch, it can transmit the current to your body and the consequences can be fatal.
PREVENTION:
a)Wading through floods always stay vigilant. Wear rubber and protective boots with good traction. If you do get injured, wash the wound immediately with clean water, and remove any dirt or foreign objects. Then use a disinfectant to clean the wound.
b)Switch off the power to flood-prone areas, and turn off all electrical appliances. If there is water or an appliance is wet, do not touch any power cords in electrical outlets.

---

The information is compiled by Junya Jarayopas, infectious disease, department manager, Bumrungrad Hospital.

PHOTO: PATIPAT JANTHONG

Has forest clearing contributed to Thailand’s floods?

Has forest clearing contributed to Thailand’s floods?

October 30th, 2011 by Andrew Walker

The longer Thailand’s flood crisis goes on, the more commentators (both in Thailand and internationally) resort to the old belief that deforestation has contributed to the flooding.
This is a very complex issue, much more so than many of the simplified statements in public commentary would suggest. There is no doubt that forested landscapes can often absorb more rainfall than non-forested landscapes, especially if forest clearing is associated with soil degradation and the creation of hard surfaces such as roads. But even very absorbent forested landscapes have their limits – either when the rainfall is particularly intense (falling faster than it can be absorbed) or when the forest soils become saturated with water and simply cannot absorb any more.
As I have noted previously on New Mandala, it is well to remember that flash flooding in Thailand is commonly referred to as nam pa  (literally, forest water).
To the extent that there is any consensus in the literature it is that while forest cover may have some effect on flooding at a local scale, its effect at a large scale, and for high-intensity events, is likely to be much more limited. Here is a selection of quotes from some recent surveys of relvant literature. First, some quotes from Ian Calder et al, Forest and Floods:

Consulting the state of scientific knowledge clarifies the factual basis for understanding forests and floods. And indeed there exists a clear gulf between this knowledge and public perception. On the one hand we have science, which admits complexity, incomplete knowledge, uncertainty qualified by caveats, and sadly a very unexciting story: a story that the media and popular press are unlikely to consider even on the “worst of news days,” and on the other hand the simplistic, yet highly dramatic, public perception. (92)
From theoretical considerations it would be expected that interception of rainfall by forests reduces floods by removing a proportion of the storm rainfall and by allowing the build up of soil moisture deficits. These effects would be expected to be most significant for small storms, where the soil moisture or interception “deficit” might be a significant proportion of the storm rainfall but relatively insignificant for the largest storms. (89)
Storms of sufficient spatial scale to saturate large basins are likely to be of the largest magnitude and for
these extreme event storms the effects of land use change on flood response are expected to be least pronounced. (90)
Thus, the evolving science perception suggests that the role of forest cover in flood mitigation or management is circumscribed. Perhaps the most salient point is that as the severity of the flood increases the marginal impact of land use change appears to be reduced. Still, this perception is evolving. There remains a need to better understand the interrelationship between different hydrological functions that are impacted by land use change, such as between sediment, the build-up of river channels and flood heights. In addition, as scientists improve their ability to disaggregate the linkages between forest and non-forest cover (such as roads) impacts associated with particular economic activities, the alternatives for minimizing associated
flood risk will become clearer. (92)

And here are some quotes from van Dijk et al Forest–flood Relation Still Tenuous:

A peak flow enhancing effect of forest removal has been observed in small-scale … experimental
studies. Small to medium peak flows (i.e. the more common, less damaging ones) appear affected most, while the largest events do not change noticeably (e.g. Hewlett, 1982; Bowling et al., 2000). To date, studies in larger basins have not usually found any changes after deforestation of up to 50% of the catchment, and where changes did occur, these were not directly attributed to deforestation (reviewed in Bruijnzeel, 1990; Wilk et al. 2001). (112)
In summary, our understanding of the influence of deforestation on hydrology is far from complete, but to date, there has not been convincing empirical evidence or theoretical argument that removal of trees is likely to exacerbate severe flooding in developing countries (or elsewhere). (112)
Strong statistical correlation was indeed found between population and flood frequency, for country totals … as well as after dividing by area ….  Conversely, correlation between forest cover or cover loss and flood frequency appears absent. … After accounting for the correlation with population, forest cover or deforestation appeared to explain less than 1% of the remaining 17–30% of variation in country statistics. (113)

Both papers highlight the degree of uncertainty around some of these issues, and the need for future research.  But the overall message is clear – assuming that forest clearing is a significant contributor to flooding on the scale that Thailand is currently experiencing is likely to result in inappropriate and ill-informed policy responses.

Source: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/10/30/has-forest-clearing-contributed-to-thailands-floods/

City Authorities Scramble to Counter Wet Season’s First Major Flood

City Authorities Scramble to Counter Wet Season’s First Major Flood
Dofa Fasila | November 01, 2011

Two children ride a bicycle in front of their waterlogged house in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, on Monday. Floodwaters from the nearby Krukut River reached a peak of two meters on Sunday afternoon but receded to 50 centimeters on Monday. (Antara Photo)

The city administration was quick to announce on Monday that it had plans to address the perennial flooding problem in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, a day after homes there were submerged in waters up to 1.5 meters high.

As officials hurried to set up health posts and prepare hospitals to take care of flood victims from the area, Jakarta secretary Fadjar Panjaitan said the administration had both a short- and long-term plan to overcome the problem.

Pondok Labu has always been prone to flooding and the floodwaters that sent hundreds of families fleeing the area on Sunday night was the capital’s first major incident since the start of this year’s rainy season.

Fadjar said the flooding was caused by heavy rains in the upstream areas of the Krukut River.

The short-term plan, Fadjar said, is to build a canal to divert some of the water from the Krukut River from areas where the river had narrowed because of heavy construction to wider ones. Construction of the canal would begin this month and Rp 1 billion ($113,000) has been allocated for it.

Over the longer term, authorities will build a dam to regulate the flow of the river. Construction will begin in 2012 at a cost of Rp 10 billion, he said.

“There still are land plots that need to be freed [for the dam], so while waiting we will build the canals through the land we have already purchased,” Fadjar said.

The head of the city’s water resource management, Tarjuki, said the reservoir was expected to cover an area of 1.6 hectares but 7,825 square meters of land still had to be purchased.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, in a visit to the flooded area on Monday with Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono, said the participation of local residents was needed to free up the land needed for the dam.

“It is likely residents will need to be relocated,” the governor said, according to Beritajakarta.com.

Fadjar denied that the flooding was due to the construction of a shooting range for the marines. He said the marines had actually already built concrete embankment along the river passing through the range.

“It is now the duty of the Jakarta administration to build the remaining embankment,” Fadjar said, adding, however, that many of the areas along the river were currently packed with buildings.

Tarjuki said the Pondok Labu area was actually a water basin that was unfit to be used for settlements. He said the government was now trying to free the land and return it into a green open space that functions as a water reservoir during the rainy season.

The head of the city’s health office, Dien Emmawati, said that besides erecting two temporary health posts in the flooded area, the government has also prepared four local hospitals to admit any victims of the flooding and treat them for free.

She said that the posts have already treated 23 patients for minor ailments.

Dien said her office had also distributed disinfectants to local residents, to be used once the waters recede.

A total of 1,268 people from 358 families have been evacuated from the flooded areas. The flood, city data says, has inundated 325 houses in five neighborhoods.

The evacuees are currently sheltered at a temporary camp, a mosque and a church.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/city-authorities-scramble-to-counter-wet-seasons-first-major-flood/475425

Flooding in South Jakarta Likely to Reoccur: BNPB

Flooding in South Jakarta Likely to Reoccur: BNPB
Jakarta Globe | November 01, 2011

Flood victims leave a shelter and head back to their homes in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, after the waters receded on Monday. Flash floods caused by the overflowing Krukut River had inundated the area since Sunday. (Antara Photo)

The spokesman of the National Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said flooding in the Pondok Labu area is likely to reoccur because the width of the Krukut River has decreased due to the growing number of people living on the river banks.

Homes in the area were submerged in waters up to 1.5 meters high on Sunday due to heavy rains in the upstream areas of the Krukut River.

“The housing areas growing rapidly along the river banks have depleted the size of the river,” Sutopo told the Jakarta Globe, adding that the river’s width had decreased from 16 meters to two meters.

“It means it can only contain 30 percent of the rainfall, thus the flooding,” he said. “It is important that the river be returned to its original width to improve its capacity.”

Pondok Labu has always been prone to flooding and flood waters caused hundreds of families to flee the area on Sunday night. This was capital’s first major incident since the start of this year’s rainy season.

On Tuesday morning, the Jayakarta Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Waris visited flood victims in the evacuation shelter.

Waris’ visit coincided with accusations from evacuees that one of the causes of the flood was the construction of a shooting range for the marines.

“Our friends in the marines are taking the necessary steps such as dredging the river so the floods will stop completely,” Waris said as quoted by news portal Okezone.com.

The marines also donated food for the evacuees and volunteered at the emergency kitchen.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/flooding-in-south-jakarta-likely-to-reoccur-bnpb/475507

Record river tides flood districts in HCM City

Updated October, 29 2011 09:56:15

HCM CITY — Flood tides in HCM City's rivers and canals reached 50-year highs this week, flooding several districts in the country's biggest city.

Residential areas in Districts 2, 8, Thu Duc, and Phu Nhuan began to be inundated late in the afternoon on Thursday when water spilled over dykes, canals, and sewage gates.

The Southern Hydrometeorology Forecast Centre said the tide reached a record high of 1.57m yesterday, the highest in 50 years.

On Thursday it measured 1.55m in the Sai Gon River, or above the third warning level, causing floods of at least half a metre in the four districts.

The first flood tide had occurred in the Sai Gon on Monday, Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the Southern Hydrometeorology Forecast Centre, said.

Hundreds of houses were flooded, with Thu Duc's Linh Dong Ward being the worst affected after being deluged in nearly 1.5m of water.

Civil defence forces, the police, students, workers, and security forces helped move affected people and their properties to safety.

The HCM City Anti-Flooding Programme Management Centre said 20 roads would be inundated, with Luong Dinh Cua Street in District 2, Ben Phu Dinh in District 8, and Bui Huu Nghia in Binh Thanh expected to be submerged in half a metre of water.

The city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development expected water to spill over the dykes in District 12, some parts of Thu Duc, and the Sai Gon basin in Cu Chi District.

Authorities and residents in these areas have been warned. The river tides are expected to last until today.

On Thursday flood waters from upstream coupled with rising flood tides in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River caused floods in the delta region.

In Kien Giang Province, which like the rest of the delta, has been flooded for the last few weeks, at least 10 people, including eight children, have been killed so far and more than 6,000 houses flooded.

Areas around the An Giang capital Long Xuyen saw flood waters rise by up to half a metre since Thursday.

Can Tho has also been flooded.

In Hau Giang sugarcane farms have been flooded, while in Tien Giang schools have been shut down for several days.

The Cai Lay District Education and Training Office said 1,200 students have been affected by the floods and 43 schools are submerged.

Thousands of houses are in danger of being flooded in Soc Trang as the flood tide has reached the highest level in history. — VNS

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn//Environment/217077/Record-river-tides-flood-districts-in-HCM-City.html