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THAILAND: Worst Mekong river flooding in 100 years
18 Aug 2008 15:43:27 GMT
 Source: IRIN

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•  Floods

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NONG KHAI, 18 August 2008 (IRIN) - It is 4pm and Pranee Soongkhaeng is hurriedly piling up sandbags in a bid to prevent flooding in front of her shop on Meechai Street in Nhon Khai Province, northeast Thailand, close to the Mekong river bank. Sandbags are stacked in front of every row of houses along the riverside road to prevent inundation.

"The water level of the Mekong river keeps rising and now it's reached the street in front of my house," Pranee told IRIN. "We don't know when the water is going to recede because this is just the beginning of the monsoon season."

The Mekong river has exceeded its highest recorded level of 12.38 metres in 1966, inundating homes and farmland from 9 August in the northern province of Chiang Rai all the way to the northeastern province of Nakhon Panom. Floods which, according to the Interior Ministry, are the worst in 100 years, have caused estimated damage of 223 million baht (US$66.5 million) thus far in Thailand.

In the northeastern province of Nong Khai, the river level was measured at 13.20 metres on 16 August, according to the Water Resources Department.

Disaster zones

Overflows from the river caused floodwater up to two metres deep in Sang Kom and Sri Chiang Mai districts, leaving hundreds of homes submerged and several roads impassable for small vehicles.

The Nong Khai provincial disaster prevention office declared the two riverside districts disaster zones and in need of clean water and waterborne disease prevention.

Thailand's Water Resources Department director-general Siripong Hungspreuk said heavy downpours from upstream China and Laos, as well as in upper northern Thailand caused the river to reach such high levels.

Although the authorities expect the flood waters to recede during the coming week, riverside communities along the Mekong are still being warned to brace themselves for possible flash flooding and evacuate their belongings to higher ground, Siripong said.

Water from the Mekong river has overflowed its banks and inundated villages and farmland not only in Thailand but also in the other three Mekong river basin countries - Cambodia,Laos and Vietnam.

Cambodia's Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has warned residents in upper Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampong Cham Provinces to be vigilant for flash flooding and prepare for evacuation to higher ground, and large areas of both Laos and Vietnam have been inundated.

In Laos, four people were killed in flooding and landslides last week. Police have closed roads leading to the riverbank in Vientiane to make it easier for trucks delivering sandbags. A levée was built along the river's northern bank after flooding in some parts of the city. Despite severe floods, the former capital of Luang Prabang has escaped flood damage to its ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas, the official Vientiane Times reported.

China dams suspected

In Thailand, some local residents and environmentalists told IRIN they suspected Chinese dams and the destruction of small Mekong river islands to clear passage for Chinese cargo ships had aggravated flooding in the region. They also blamed the Mekong River Commission (MRC) - set up in 1995 by the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to manage the Mekong river - for failure to warn people about the flooding.

However, MRC issued a statement on 15 August saying the present situation was the result of abnormally high water runoff in the northern part of the Mekong basin following heavy rainfall caused by tropical storm Kammuri which pasted through 9-11 August.

Montree Chantawong, campaign coordinator of the Bangkok-based Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, told IRIN: "Although it cannot be said for sure that the Chinese dams were to blame for the inundation, they are certainly contributing to ecological and hydrological changes in the river."

Somkiat Khuaenchiangsa, a coordinator of the Chiang Khong Conservation Group, urged the MRC members to reassess the need for dams in China and Laos since the planned construction could effect the water flow and the hydrology of the lower Mekong basin.

"We cannot underestimate how intense rainstorms and flooding will be, but we can prevent or lessen the damage caused by man-made disaster," Somkiat said.

at/bj/cb

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


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Last updated:Mon Aug 18 15:47:01 2008