Poor scores in exploiting crisis-induced opportunities

Surprised? No, particularly after a report last week that tonnes of wastes have emerged in the aftermath of devastative floods. Without the severe flooding that wrecked havocs tens of thousand houses in Bangkok, daily wastes people in Bangkok produce were nearly 10 tonnes. The volume spiked up in an astonishing rate. According to BMA, after water receded, as of last week it had collected 40,000 tonnes of wastes and about 60,000 tonnes more are expected. 

Surprised? No. In the past 10 years when built-in furniture had been in high demand thanks to the design and space-saving feature, nearly all houses in Bangkok have at least one piece of built-in furniture. Mostly made of soft wood, the furniture is the first to go. Submerged in water for more than 3 days, they are bloated. And theoretically, they are likely to turn permanent home to fungus. Anybody wants to live with fungus, day in and day out?

Floods also damaged other furniture and properties inside houses, which were not submerged. Fungus grows everywhere, including un-submerged areas like ceilings. The poor may have to be selective to keep usable items, but those with higher affordability are not reluctant to toss away damaged assets.

A TPBS scoop was interesting. Where wastes piled up on streets, some people are seen picking up some pieces still valuable – like iron cloth hangers. A family recently found a bracelet, which could be sold for Bt5,000. That day, a taxi motorcyclist, looking for envelopes, found one containing a Bt1,000 banknote.  

What this scoop suggests? Despite verbal urge, from academics and BMA, that all segregate the wastes, little has been achieved. All wastes, recyclable or not, are dumped in one place. That increased the volume of wastes and it produces a headache as to how to handle the wastes. For the wastes at that magnitude, a big plot of land is needed for landfill and the incinerators would work very hard to burn the rest. In a way, this requires fuel for the burning while landfill often leads to pollution to soil and water.

It also affirms a perception that Thais are better at talking than doing. While urging for waste segregation, BMA could have placed big waste bins at housing estates for big pieces like cabinets. Another bin for damaged clothes would be a plus. But just like before the floods when hyacinth dominated canals and canal dredging was not in the picture, BMA failed to prepare in advance for massive wastes after the floods. 

What’s done is done. Now, I’m all eyes and ears for a concrete and permanent recycle programme from BMA. It would be nice to start with its 400-odds schools. Like what is exhibited in an expo in Japan, kids should first learn how a kilogramme of waste constitutes greenhouse gases, which are the major culprits for frequent natural disasters.

The waste handling thing is one thing. The other sample demonstrating Thailand’s poor disaster management and failure to exploit the crisis concerns the planned construction of permanent flood walls at 7 inundated industrial estates. 

Over Bt5 billion of loans are being sought by the estate operators, for such construction which would give birth to the walls as high as 6.5 metres. The walls must not fail, as if disaster of this scale reoccurs, the deluge would be beyond imagination. The walls seem to be the only thing the operators (and the government) can think of to restore investor confidence. It is contradictory that, according to government officials, insurance firms are waiting more anxiously for the water management master plan. We do understand that it would take some time to synchronise so many plans, particularly in Thailand where teamwork spirit and sense of compromise is terribly low. Yet, the opportunity must be seized, or the disaster would just be a useless chapter. 

I also wait for the master plan and the government’s announcement on concrete implementation plan. In the interval, I’m counting the day when the waste truck would once again come to pick up my household wastes.