ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFEENVIRONMENTAL ISSUEStransport could resume. Even worse, months of heavy rainfall followed,
and the ensuing devastating fl oods (also 50-year fl ood conditions) in-
undated many parts of Thailand, killing hundreds and aff ecting tens of
millions of people. By late October, the residents of Bangkok were en-
gaged in a desperate struggle to keep as much of the fl oodwaters out of
the city as possible. Despite their eff orts, many residential and industrial
areas of Bangkok became fl ooded and as this book went to print, the
fl ooding was not expected to dissipate for four to six weeks. Many refuge
centres were set up including at Don Muang airport, which was con-
verted into a tent city.
There are a myriad of suspected reasons for these extreme weather
patterns. Many environmental experts attribute human alteration of
natural fl ood barriers and watercourses and deforestation as potential
causes. Increased incidents of fl ooding along Mekong is often linked to
upstream infrastructure projects, such as dams and removal of rapids
for easier navigation, and increasing human populations along the river
that infringe on forested fl oodplains and wetlands. Another emerging
component is the role of climate change in the increase of seasonal
rains.
Coastal & Marine Degradation
Thailand’s coastal region has experienced higher population and eco-
nomic growth than the national average and the majority of the coun-
try’s manufacturing industry is located along the eastern seaboard and
the upper Gulf of Thailand. With increased population comes increased
environmental pressure.
Soil erosion is a major coastal problem. According to the World Bank,
Thailand is losing 2 sq km from its coastline every year. This is in part
due to coastal development (construction of jetties, breakwaters, ocean-
front hotels and roads), land subsiding (due to groundwater depletion)
and to rising sea levels. Accurate data is lacking on coastal water qual-
ity but analysts admit that wastewater treatment facilities are outpaced
by the area’s population and that industrial wastewater is often insuf-
fi ciently treated.
Coastal degradation puts serious pressure on Thailand’s diverse coral
reef system and marine environment. It is estimated that about 50% of
Thailand’s coral reefs are classifi ed as highly threatened, indicating a
disproportionate number of dead coral to living coral, according to a
World Bank 2006 environmental report. The 2010 global bleaching phe-
nomenon, in which El Nino weather conditions contributed to warmer
sea temperatures, exacerbated the health of Thailand’s reefs. The Thai
government closed to tourism 18 areas in seven marine parks that had
experienced widespread bleaching. It is unclear if these reefs, which
were 80% aff ected, will recover.
The overall health of the ocean is further impacted by large-scale fi sh-
ing, an important part of the Thai economy. Fisheries continue to experi-
ence declining catches and an industry once dominated by small family
fi sherfolk has now shifted to big commercial enterprises that can go into
deeper waters and devote more resources to a profi table catch.
The town of
Pranburi main-
tains a thriving
fishing industry.
Trawlers pull up
at the mouth of
the river where
workers unload
their catch and
set the fish out
to dry on racks
spread across
town. Thais think
the smell is
heavenly.