Water scarcity and inadequate waste management are a result of hospitality and urbanization.
PUBLISHED: September 5, 2023, at 18:59
PHUKET: Plans to address Phuket’s issues with water shortages, flooding, and poor wastewater management are being accelerated by the Office of the National Water Resources ( ONWR ).
Surasri Kidtimonton, the ONWR secretary-general, paid a visit to Phuket on Monday to monitor the development of the Kathu district’s water management strategy and wood conservation efforts.
Phuket, according to Mr. Surasri, is the most significant province for tourism, but the island experiences an annual water shortage of about 25.5 million cubic meters( m3 ), primarily during the dry season.
The area also experiences flooding issues with overflowing rivers during the moist season. Buildings that block flows and high tides are the result of inadequate town planning.
According to him, the island’s expanding community and high number of tourists have resulted in industrial growth and a decrease in forest cover. Additionally, a lot of weather is washing away the soil.
Additionally, the amount of waste that the island’s communities and amusement venues discharged went beyond what could be treated.
According to Mr. Surasri, the ONWR is conducting an area-based review to assist Phuket in more closely adhering to its 20-year water management master plan.
According to him, the goal is to handle up to 5 million m3 of waste annually and increase the monthly water supply to around 60.5 million.
In order to recover the forest ecology, topsoil damage needed to be properly managed.
Building check rivers in trees to slow down water circulation during heavy rains and lessen the issue of soil erosion was the original plan for the wet season. A search dam will immediately be constructed by local authorities in the Ban Nam Tok Kathu neighborhood of the Katu district. This would aid in preventing soil deterioration over a 291 rai area.
The ONWR may even offer recommendations for how individuals and organizations in Phuket can conserve water, such as by installing water feet in showers. He added that this had been successful in other nations and that Phuket had not yet been affected by the El Nino temperature pattern, with no decrease in rain as of yet.