Lessons to be learned from flood disaster

This is a question many people have been asking these past few months but no one seems to have a clear answer.  

As the world famous flood disaster continues to engulf more than 26 provinces, claiming the lives of more than 600 people, destroying businesses worth billions of dollars and affecting more than 10 million people, it is not a surprise why people are asking the same question and a whole lot more.

Some people are angry, confused, desperately need help and some have already accepted their fate and are waiting for the waters to recede so that they can recuperate, while some have already complained and pointed fingers at whoever they think is responsible.  

There are two kinds of disasters: a natural disaster and a man-made one. If this is a natural disaster, there is not much we can do as it is quite difficult to predict how many typhoons will occur each year. However, I often think that today’s natural disaster is more severe than in the past, which is the result of global warming – a man-made disaster.  

Now, if a Thai flood is a man-made disaster, who should we blame? The government we recently elected? 

One way or another, has anyone pointed a finger at oneself yet?

It is so easy to just complain about others but why is it so difficult to change ourselves? Have we become a selfish population, who only want the best for ourselves and our families? Have we become careless towards our neighbour and our nation? If the answer is yes, then I can reassure you that the flood will happen again and it will only get worse and worse.

Put politics to the side and try to look at the problem the architect’s way. I remember, when I was in primary school, we learned that Thailand’s central plain has a pan-shaped landscape with low ground, soft soil, perfect for agriculture. At that time, Ayutthaya and many parts of Bangkok had rice fields and farm land. Now, two decades later, Ayutthaya has five industrial estates and Bangkok has no agricultural land left. Who knows how many more real estate properties are in what used to be rice fields, which flooded every year since the day we were at war with Burma?

 

What happened?   

We have ignored the principle of basic geography and are trying to fight nature the human way, through concrete and human management. How many times have we seen failure in human management in Thailand?

If we are going to change something, I have to say, this is the perfect time. The Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning along with the Department of City Planning of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration should get together to revisit our urban planning along with our floodways. Do not leave it to the Royal Irrigation Department alone to solve this major issue. We must think and work together to get through not just today’s crisis but future ones as well.

I hope that there will be something good coming out of this catastrophe and hope that the authorities will learn something from it. Do not let important information and opportunity to do something good flow down the drain.