flooding

Features

When “homes” become “trash” : money can’t save houses damaged by the flood in Ubon Ratchathani

What would you do if you returned to your house three months after a flood only to find it in ruins, damaged beyond repair, a slush of garbage and mud obscuring any hint of a floor? This is what many flood victims in Ubon Ratchathani province encountered. They need to stay in their homes but first they need to eat. Meanwhile relief from the government is slow and insufficient. What are they to do? Songwut Jullanan from Ubon Ratchathani reports.

Features

Necessary sacrifice? : Khon Kaen urban poor suffer fallout from city flood control

It’s been over a month now since the Mitraphap Community along Khon Kaen railway was confronted with major loss after their homes were submerged in meter-high water. The physical and psychological damage, though, remains – and has been overlooked by the government. Community members ask if the flash flood they’re forced to face is only seen as a necessary sacrifice for the city residents and the province’s economic hub to be spared from.

News

Prayuth comes to Khon Kaen

An army of Khon Kaen Police were on hand as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha surveyed the areas experiencing significant flooding, the prime minister’s first visit to the region after the Constitutional Court allowed him to continue in his position. Protesters were also on hand, holding signs like, “Flooding water, flooding debt, a false Prime Minister.”

Opinion

Dismantle the dams, reform water management in Northeast Thailand

Six decades of dam building, from the dawn of the Cold War to the tenure of the latest military junta are proof of the failure of water management in Isaan. It’s time to dismantle the dams and turn to sustainable approaches, writes environmental expert Chainarong Setthachua.

Features

The Waiting Game (Part 3): “The flood left a trail of sadness and worry.”

Floodwaters have receded from two communities in Khon Kaen. Having lost their rice harvest this season, many farmers are awaiting compensation from the government, worried they will be unable to pay off their agricultural loans. As community members return to their daily lives, many are calling for better dam management.