Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and ... - GFDRR

Flood-induced losses related to the environment sector are suspended services normally
provided by environmental assets, as well as waste treatment facilities. In terms of
environmental assets, the flood has significantly reduced the level of salinity in the upper
Gulf of Thailand at and around the mouths of the Bang Pakong, Chao Phraya, and Ta Chin
rivers. As a result, the normal ecological services provided by mangrove forests and near
shore ecological systems have been severely impacted, as the large amount of fresh water
pushed the sea water further away from the shore. Immovable and small marine animals
have perished. Data from researchers at Mahidol and Chulalongkorn universities show
that the level of salinity is close to zero in the areas up to three kilometers from shore, and
spread out as wide as 40 kilometers. Finally, in view of the high amount of run-off from
paddy and other agricultural fields, urban wastes and domestic sewage, the nutrient load
in the three main rivers and the upper Gulf of Thailand would be significantly increased,
which could lead to a significant algal bloom in the coming three to nine months. Depending
on the type of algal bloom, major damage and losses could be felt by the fishery and near
shore aquaculture sectors.
Secondly, losses from affected waste treatment facilities are very significant in municipal
areas, while lesser impacts are observed in the industrial sector, as the factories have
ceased to operate. The amount of municipal waste that was not collected and properly
treated is not expected to reduce, as affected populations will continue to exhibit similar
behavior. On the contrary, the waste from containers of ready-to-eat food and drink and
other necessities are expected to increase at the same time as when the capacities of the
waste treatment facilities are expected to have greatly reduced. Therefore, about 60
percent of the total losses, is coming from losses in the municipal solid waste sector.
Municipal Solid Waste
Biodiversity
Industrial Waste
TOTAL
Public Private Total
101
-
101
64
-
64
-
11
11
165
11
176
Table 69: Environment
sector – Losses in Thai
baht, millions
Table 70 shows the breakdown of the value of damage and losses by province. From the
total of THB 550 million in damage and losses, as much as 60 percent, or THB 327 million,
was sustained in Bangkok and Ayuthaya provinces where a greater number of affected
people and major industrial installations are located. Other provinces in the central and
northeastern regions take a smaller share of the flood destruction.
194 THAI FLOOD 2011 RAPID ASSESSMENT FOR RESILIENT RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING