Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Thailand

Provinces employing new methods to cope with drought

UTHAITHANI, 27 March 2017 (NNT) – In spite of tropical storms spurring rains in many areas, the drought situation has remained a concern with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives now utilizing a pipe system directly between the Thap Salao Reservoir and nearby farms.

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Theeraphat Prayunsitthi has traveled to Lan Sak district of Uthai Thani province to officiate the opening of a new pipe system that will allow water from Thap Salao Reservoir to be directly pumped to nearby farm plots. The over 6 kilometers of piping is open for farmers to further extend and is designed to help them weather the dry season.

In Buriram province, locals have put water hyacinths collected to help the flow of waterways to further good use by turning them into fertilizer for their farms. The plants were collected as part of a program to improve local waterways, which water hyacinths pollute and impede. Local leaders have shown farmers how to turn the weeds into fertilizer, attracting them to keep them out of the water.