Academics question govt's approach to flood prevention

Various stakeholders and prominent academics yesterday called for a review of the government’s Bt350billion water-management and flood-prevention modules.
The modules, they complained, ran against academic principles, excluded proper public participation, and threatened to cause many problems.
“The Water and Flood Management Commission should involve all relevant parties in designing the modules,” Thailand Water Partnership Foundation’s secretary-general Man Purotakhanon said at a seminar yesterday.
Held at Chulalongkorn University (CU), the seminar sought to scrutinise the Bt350billion mega projects from academic perspectives.
CU lecturer Chaiyuth Sukhsri said the approach taken by the government for the country’s water management and flood prevention systems was not accepted academically.
Assoc Prof Komsan Maleesee, a deputy dean at the Faculty of Engineering at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, complained that all of the government’s urgent flood-prevention projects had problems.
“Construction of these projects goes ahead without proper design,” he pointed out.
He was speaking after the Uthai Thani Tourism Association’s vice president Sathien Paewattanakul expressed concern that the ongoing floodwall project in his hometown had filled much of the Sakaekrang River.
“The river used to be between 50 and 70 metres wide. But the project has been filling a part of the river. The river is [dropping to] just 30 and 50 metres wide,” Komsan said.
He said since the construction started, a huge number of aquatic animals had died.
“Now, locals can no longer catch prawns from the river,” he said.
 He said the ongoing construction also threatened the existence of floating houses by the river.
“The Sakaekrang River is now Thailand’s only river to have floating houses along both sides of its banks. Why don’t we conserve it?” Komsan said.
He said he did not intend to object to the government’s plan to provide better flood-prevention and water-management systems in the country.
“But really, the government should consult affected people too,” Komsan said.
He said the government should not look at the issue from just one angle. “Please think about the impact on local ways of life too,” he said.
Komsan said that apart from hurting the way of life around the Sakaekrang River, the project looked set to fail in its objective of preventing flooding.
“If you take some 20-metre-wide area from the river along its stretch, overflowing can be expected because the river becomes much narrower,” he said.
He also warned that the narrower river also meant a more intense velocity of flowing water.
“Are you sure the floodwall can withstand that velocity?” he asked.
Komsan added that if cement chunks were to slip off into the river, they would obstruct the water flow.
“Then, flooding would arise,” he said.
Man also emphasised the need to ensure proper environmental health impact assessments.