Drought

China has promised to discharge water from a dam along the Lancang River (better known as the Mekong) to help alleviate drought conditions in Southeast Asia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced on 15 March in a regular press conference that China will release water from ...

The Thai government is putting drinking water on the special price control list to protect consumers in the face of the drought. Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said authorities were closely monitoring the impact of the drought, which has arrived earlier this year. Keep reading ...

Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has adjusted its water distribution plan after the water in 10 main dams across the country receded to critical levels. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya  said on 2 March the water discharge plan of each dam has been tweaked to cope with ...

Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) has drawn up a plan to ensure that power supply will meet the anticipated surge in demand during the dry season this year. EVN plans to complete 351 electricity works of 110 kV to 500 kV with a total power line ...

Thailand’s Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) is urging businesses to cut water consumption to help reduce the adverse effects from the intensifying drought.  JSCCIB chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree said he expected to see a 20-30% drop in water consumption from now through the end ...

Brace yourselves: 2016 could be the hottest year on record, bringing high temperatures, drought and perhaps more flooding to Myanmar, weather experts warn. The culprit is the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, reckoned to be the most powerful ever, said meteorologist U Tun Lwin. Its ...

As many as 76 districts in various provinces including Bangkok are facing the risk of water shortages over the next few months, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry revealed on 25 February. Keep reading ...

A feasibility study on a proposal to build a tunnel diverting water from the Mekong River to the drought-stricken Northeast region will be wrapped up by year-end and will determine whether the multi-billion baht project is economically viable, a senior irrigation official says. Somkiat Prajamwong, director of the Project ...

The Public Health Ministry says five hospitals in the North and Northeast are facing severe water shortages caused by the drought, which has affected the hospitals’ medical services. The five hospitals are Doi Ngam Tambon Health Promotion Hospital and Pa Hoong Tambon Health Promotion Hospital in Chiang Rai, ...

The spectre of drought is already hanging over a Mandalay township, where villagers are being forced to pay K50,000 per load of water as their wells dry up. Taungtha township, Mandalay Region, has been facing water shortages as nearby lakes and wells go dry, said Ko ...