Mekong Eye-May 6
Rice and tangerine farmers compete for scarce water resources amidst a prolonged drought exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon. The water conflict among farmer groups has escalated due to the 2024 El Niño weather pattern, causing chronic drought and water shortages nationwide. A relentless heatwave and a long drought influenced by El Niño weather patterns have escalated a water dispute in a community in Thailand’s north, with rice and tangerine farmers contesting dwindling local water supplies. Somsak and about 170 rice farmers in Chiang Mai’s northern Mae Sao sub-district have been forced to take turns guarding the Mae Hang and Mae Sao creeks, the major sources of water that supply nearly 2,310 hectares of rice fields and tangerine orchards in their community. Their actions were prompted by the excessive use of water from the creeks as rice and tangerines are both thirsty crops requiring intensive irrigation, especially in the summer. What they guard against is the removal of sandbags used to channel water from the creeks to their rice fields, with the water flowing on elsewhere. Sometimes they find rocks placed in the waterway to direct water to specific agricultural areas. “Ghost pipes”, or unauthorized water pipes used to divert water, have also appeared along the upstream creeks, with no one claiming ownership. More than 17 ghost pipes were discovered this year – the highest number ever reported. This increasing contest for water has broken an earlier deal reached between the rice and tangerine farmers, who agreed in 2005 on the size of the pipes used for water diversion and the amount of water sharing ─ with 70% of the water from Mae Hang Creek going to rice farms and 30% to tangerine orchards. “In normal circumstances, the water available from the creeks was sufficient to supply all the farms in Mae Sao,” said Surachart Malasri from the Department of Irrigation. “But the water sources have become insufficient during the dry season the water cannot be stored for later use.” By Kanokphorn Chanphloi Read more at: https://www.mekongeye.com/2024/05/06/heatwave-thailand-north/
