By Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Both authorities and residents in Thailand must get better prepared for floods, a Thailand water expert said on Thursday, slamming insufficient engineering infrastructure and poor town planning that he said fanned the country’s catastrophic 2011 flood crisis.

Last year’s flooding – the country’s worst in five decades – started in northern Thailand in June and lasted till December as the water made its way through numerous towns and villages to the Gulf of Thailand.

BANGKOK (AlertNet) - Thailand's floods have killed close to 700 people since July. While unusually heavy rains triggered the crisis, some experts have questioned the way the authorities prepared for and responded to the country’s worst floods in half a century.

The flooding of farmland and shutting down of seven industrial estates has led to tens of thousands of jobs losses. Following is a summary of points aid workers and flood experts speaking to AlertNet suggested Thailand could learn after the disaster that has disrupted the lives of some 13 million people.

By Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Flood-embattled Mekong countries must toughen up codes on building and engage citizens in risk reduction efforts in the face of mounting natural disasters, the chief of the U.N. disaster reduction agency told AlertNet.

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By Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) - Aid agencies say some of the 300 child deaths caused by floods in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - most from drowning - could have been prevented by raising safety awareness and teaching children to swim.

Simple steps that could stop further casualties in these countries, where drowning is already a major child killer, include swimming lessons, educating families about the dangers of playing in floodwaters, and better understanding of potential disasters.

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Thailand’s flood victims will only get compensation in cases where homes have been inundated for more than a week or where flash floods have damaged properties, The Nation reported.

The government has announced a payment of 5,000 baht ($162) will be made per family. The Nation said officials would only give compensation after checking homes for damage.

Thailand’s worst flooding in half a century has so far killed 533 people and affected 2.4 million.

By Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – Water-borne diseases, electrocution and drowning are some of the biggest concerns for the 2.45 million people affected by Thailand’s worst floods in half a century, aid agencies told AlertNet.

Read the full article on AlertNet.

13 Sep 2011 08:29
Source: Alertnet // Thin Lei Win

BANGKOK (AlertNet) - Floods in Thailand have killed 82 people and affected more than 570,000 in 16 provinces, the Bangkok Post reported, citing officials from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

Read the full article on AlertNet.

Source: Alertnet // Thin Lei Win

Turkana men slaughter goats at a livestock de-stocking centre in the Loyoro village of Turkana district in north-western Kenya, October 1, 2009. The European Commission's ECHO department organised the de-stocking due to a severe and prolonged drought in the region. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

BANGKOK (AlertNet) - The European Union is maintaining its humanitarian aid levels despite a global economic downturn and aims to focus on reducing risks of disasters and conflicts in the next few years, the bloc's aid chief has said.