Politics impedes implementation of King's advice

For the past few months, all television stations have aired a rerun of news clips of His Majesty advising relevant officials on water management in the wake of major flooding in Bangkok in 1995.

The royal advice, particularly on setting aside areas for water retention and the construction of a floodway, has been on the drawing board for more than a decade. But very little has been done.

The country does not lack the technological know-how on flood control. It is the political will that has gone amiss.

Politicians made big pledges in 1995. They are again promising to carry out ambitious plans to prevent future flood damage. It remains to be seen whether the impact of the next big flood, which will recur as part of a decade-long cycle, can be mitigated.

In his birthday speech, the King asked for parties concerned to overcome divisiveness to implement a successful flood-control plan.

The Pheu Thai Party, which thrives on populist policies, should be especially mindful and committed to translate the royal advice into action. Can a populist party withstand the making of unpopular decisions?

As evidenced during the flood crisis, people living on either side of the flood barriers are prone to disagree and fight over how to divert the water.

Flood-control measures are never an easy decision because of vast implications on diverse communities, each with a different agenda and priorities.

Despite its overwhelming majority and popularity, the main coalition party could not make a tough decision in time to save Pathum Thani. It opted for a half-baked decision to appease its MPs who were split between championing the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate and safeguarding the Rangsit farmland.

In the coming months, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be obligated to make tougher decisions than she did in the Pathum Thani case.

The government will have to strike the right balance between the industrial and farming interests, between the rural and urban areas and between the upper- and lower-stream communities.

To resolve the hard feelings between Bangkok residents and those living elsewhere, the city authorities must change their mindset and overhaul the drainage system. The idea of blocking flood water from entering the low-lying capital has proved impractical.

The capital’s flood-control system is designed for storm drainage, but this year’s flood happened because of run-offs. Bangkok has to augment its drainage to handle the overland flow.

The challenge is doubly hard because the eastern outskirts, previously reserved for water retention, have been transformed into an industrial zone with key installations such as Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The government will face the monumental task of appropriating land for the construction of a floodway from Ayutthaya to Samut Prakan via Bangkok’s eastern outskirts.

Yingluck’s leadership style of dodging the issue does not bode well for the full implementation of flood-control measures. The outcome will be a patchwork rather than a sustainable solution.

Since the flood-prone areas are mostly Pheu Thai and Chart Thai Pattana strongholds, Yingluck will have to worry about her coalition MPs rather than her rival Democrats.

It is ironic that Yingluck’s success in flood control depends on her ability to call in favours from her friends. Red shirts in Pathum Thani and those in Don Muang have clashed over the water issue, although they still share the same political movement. A misstep might see her political alliance disintegrate.