We reap what we sow by destroying nature

Kittirat na Ranong, the deputy prime minister and commerce minister, could not hold on to his tears. He wept as he hugged a Japanese investor, totally shattered by the floods, which were on their way to swamp the Hi-Tech Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya. Channel 3 captured this emotional scene, which represents the growing despair of the whole country amid the rising tides and water levels that have built up over the past three months.
Members of the management of Hi-Tech Industrial Estate and investors were also dumbstruck by their seemingly inevitable fate. There was no way to save Hi-Tech Estate from the deluge. Barricades and all kinds of equipment were used to prevent the water from flooding into the huge industrial complex. Slightly before noon, leaks occurred at several spots in the barricades before the massive pressure of water could not be held back and it broke into the southern part of the estate. By that time, it was clear that the estate, which employs more than 50,000 workers and has a total investment of Bt65 billion, could not be saved. Evacuation was underway promptly as floodwaters spilled into the compound. Kittirat called to inform Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra that the industrial estate could not be saved.
Yet the two most affected industrial estates by the floods in Ayutthaya province are Saha Ratananakhon Industrial Estate and Rojana Industrial Park. A total of 930 factories are under water, bringing down the Thai manufacturing base in the central region. Japanese firms from Toyota, Honda, Nikon, Canon and Ajinomoto to other high-tech electronics and auto parts and components firms have halted their operations. The floods have thus created supply chain disruptions, similar to the aftermath of the tsunami crisis, which struck Japan in March this year.
These industrial estates are densely concentrated in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani, even though the areas are low lying and susceptible to flooding. The Irrigation Department warned developers not to build industrial estates there because, in the event of floods, Ayutthaya in particular would become a basin to hold the water. Yet still the developers went ahead to invest in these industrial estates because of the proximity to Bangkok. Besides this attraction, there is also an ample labour force in the area. Most of the workers are farmers, who can switch to become factory workers during seasonal breaks. About 200,000 workers in the industrial estates of the central region are now out of work.
The ongoing floods, which have built up throughout most of the country, are the most severe in 50 years, killing 283 people so far. Ayutthaya, which is an ancient capital of Siam, is situated on low-lying land, and acts like a bowl to take in the massive volume of water from the north. Further north are Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Uthai Thani and Ang Thong, which have also fallen victim to the floods. The situation at Nakhon Sawan, where the Ping, Wang, Yom and Nan Rivers converge to create the Chao Phraya River, is in a critical situation, with water covering almost the entire province.
Now the floods are threatening Pathum Thani, the last frontier before they make their way to Bangkok. Sam Khok district and other parts of Pathum Thani are fighting hopelessly against the tides of water overflowing from the Chao Phraya. In some housing estates, the water levels have reached more than one metre high. Stranded cars, which get stuck in the deep water, are a common sight.
The authorities are now trying to divert the waterways to the eastern side and western side of Pathum Thani so as to minimise the danger of imminent floods in Bangkok. At present, reports are contradictory over the extent to which inner Bangkok would be swamped by the water. Already, Bangkokians have been rushing to supermarkets and convenience stores to stock up on food and water in case of emergency.
Initial estimates of the damage from the floods are gruesome. Some Bt20 billion in farmland has been destroyed. Thai rice production could be reduced by five million tonnes out of the normal annual production of 20 million tonnes. The supply chain disruptions, the damage to machinery, equipment and factories, to small business owners and others, is incalculable. Overall, it could take Bt150 billion off the country’s gross domestic product.
Tan Passakornnatee, owner of Mai Tan Company, summed it all up. Speaking at the scene in Ayutthya, he said: “What can we do? This is the work of Nature. We have harmed Nature. I have also harmed Nature. And now it is time for Nature to take it back from us.”