Grow trees to avoid future crises, HM advises
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His Majesty the King yesterday emphasised the importance of forests and forestation in the government's flood-prevention efforts.
“It is necessary to stop forests from being felled,” the much-revered monarch said, adding that the government might have to introduce harsher punishment. He was speaking during an audience granted to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and members of two government panels tasked with improving water-management systems yesterday evening.
During the meeting, which was granted from 5.30pm at a room in Siriraj Hospital’s Chalerm Phrakiart Building, His Majesty said planting forests would solve the problems of flooding and landslides.
The King said it was the greed of some people, including government officials, that had resulted in so many big trees being uprooted. He pointed out that if these trees were allowed to live on, there would never have been such a huge flood crisis.
His Majesty explained that last year’s flood had been caused because the water could not flow to the sea or be absorbed by forestland or green zones, and recommended that different species of trees should be planted in reforestation efforts to avoid such problems in the future.
Yingluck and members of the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) and the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRFD) were present at the meeting.
“We are waiting for His Majesty’s advice. We have reported progress and findings from our recent inspection trip,” Yingluck said earlier.
Last week, she and other relevant officials visited many flood-hit provinces in an effort to find ways to prevent the crisis from recurring this year. The floods wreaked havoc across dozens of provinces, claiming hundreds of lives, submerging seven industrial estates and swamping the homes of millions.
According to the prime minister, the government has already worked out its flood-prevention plans, and now needs to communicate them to the public. “Some of the plans will be implemented as soon as possible, while some others are long-term solutions,” she said.
Asked whether floodways and water-catchment areas had been earmarked, Yingluck said, “Yes, but I will let experts such as Kijja Pholphasi, Peetipong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya and Dr Anond Snidvongs explain that in detail.”
According to Yingluck, the water-management plan does not run against the rules of nature. Apart from dam management, run-off water will be allowed to flow through well-dredged waterways to the sea. Water-catchment areas, selected because they have long been flood-prone, will be required to hold water for just a few months a year, she said.
“In the long run, we may raise the height of some roads,” she said.
Yingluck said transferring Chalit Damrongsak from the helm of the Royal Irrigation Department would not disrupt flood-prevention efforts.
“The guidelines have already been laid down. No matter who comes in or takes charge, they will be the same,” she said. “Besides, Chalit is now the deputy permanent secretary for Agriculture. He will still oversee the department.”
