Government Warned Flood Prevention Plans Cannot Be Hurried

The Government have been warned that hasty decision making over flood prevention solutions, could lead to potential failure.

Agencies have been instructed to come up with answers to the problem of flooding before the rainy season commences but many feel that knee jerk reactions could be costly and may be a waste of finances and effort.

Foundation for Integration of Water Management President Hannarong Yaowalers believes that rushing such tasks could result in big projects with no solutions.

His comments came after learning that the Royal Irrigation Department had until Thursday to complete water management plans, which would be put across for consideration by the cabinet next week.

Whilst there is no doubt that the nation are in dire need of solutions to the flooding problems it endures, they must look at what the underlying problem is, before they can resolve it.

Studies found that in the south, the problem is caused by a variety of obstructions of the water flow and that more water retention areas were required.

But in the north the problem could be completely different, meaning a study to determine the root cause should be held first.

July was a particularly bad month for floods, which severely affected 44 provinces. Reports suggest that almost two million people suffered as a result of flooding with 32 deaths being recorded.

In August, eleven provinces are still flooded in many areas.

Understandably the prime minister has given the crisis his utmost attention, ordering the relevant agencies to monitor the situation and come up with a plan of action.

But flood prevention is not an easy task to deal with. We have seen problems around the world, where resolving one area's flood problem, often moves the predicament onto another region, with the next heavy rainfall.

Let's hope that a permanent solution can be found but it is unlikely to happen overnight. It will take years of study and planning to come up with a permanent answer, if it is at all possible. Source: The Nation Content: TPVS