Answer to Thailand's
drought
Crop substitution, not more dam construction projects
By Jon Fernquest 
In
today's article Thai development economist Dr. Sawai Boonma discusses
why planting different crops (crop substitution) would be a better way
to deal with Thailand's drought than more dam construction projects. New construction projects are an easy way for politicians to line their pockets. This is a proposition that many would accept as generally true about Thai politics.
Montree Phongpaichit and failed mass transportation projects of the 1990s is a good case in point (From Chang Noi Nov 2 1998)
The rules have been codified in an piece of political satire by political pundit Chang Noi: A guide to making money on big government projects (May 27 2002).
Or read about the Khlong Dan wastewater treatment plant (April 15 2002).
Today's article begins after the vocabulary.
line their pockets - make
money from taking accepting money from people for doing them favours
(bribes)
proposition, logical proposition - in logic a meaningful declarative sentence that says something about the world and is either "true" or "false" (See Wikipedia)
case in point - example providing evidence, that supports a point you are making or arguing
codified - made into a list of rules or laws to follow
satire - humour that attacks soemthing in a humourous way by pretending to be it or to approve it, human vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are common targets of satire, uses wit, irony, ridicule, derision and burlesque, often has a goal improvement of whatever is being attacked (See Wikipedia)
pundit - a person who provides their expert opinion about politics in a newspaper column or blog
proposition, logical proposition - in logic a meaningful declarative sentence that says something about the world and is either "true" or "false" (See Wikipedia)
case in point - example providing evidence, that supports a point you are making or arguing
codified - made into a list of rules or laws to follow
satire - humour that attacks soemthing in a humourous way by pretending to be it or to approve it, human vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are common targets of satire, uses wit, irony, ridicule, derision and burlesque, often has a goal improvement of whatever is being attacked (See Wikipedia)
pundit - a person who provides their expert opinion about politics in a newspaper column or blog
Local News
OUTSIDE THE BOX
Water is too important to be left to the government
23/06/2010Sawai Boonma
The end of June is almost upon us. Normally, the monsoon would have brought heavy rains to nourish new crops and replenish the depleted reservoirs. But pictures from press reports continue to show the bottoms of some reservoirs, and severe water shortages persist.
Residents of Ban Nong Sa-no in Phetchaburi’s Muang district say they are experiencing the worst drought in memory. A dried-out reservoir in their village, seen in this picture taken last month, confirms their plight.
outside
the box, thinking outside the box - thinking creatively, not
following the patterns or rules that people normally restrict
themselves to (See Wikipedia)
monsoon - the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries มรสุม, ฤดูมรสุม (See Wikipedia)
nourish - to give the food that a plant, animal or human needs to live, grow and be healthy เลี้ยงดู ฟูมฟัก
replenish - make full or complete again
depleted - used up and reduced, so that there is little or nothing remaining
press - newspapers and magazines, and those parts of television and radio which broadcast news, or reporters and photographers who work for them สื่อมวลชน
severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
shortages - when there are not enough goods for people to buy การขาดแคลน
persist - to continue ยืดเยื้อต่อไป
worst - the "most" bad
drought - a period of time when there is very little rain and water available (See Wikipedia) ความแห้งแล้ง
memory - something that you remember from the past; the ability to remember information, experiences and people ความจำ
reservoir - a natural or artificial lake where water is stored อ่างเก็บน้ำ
confirms - shows that it is really true
plight - in a difficult situation full of problems สภาพเลวร้าย
monsoon - the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries มรสุม, ฤดูมรสุม (See Wikipedia)
nourish - to give the food that a plant, animal or human needs to live, grow and be healthy เลี้ยงดู ฟูมฟัก
replenish - make full or complete again
depleted - used up and reduced, so that there is little or nothing remaining
press - newspapers and magazines, and those parts of television and radio which broadcast news, or reporters and photographers who work for them สื่อมวลชน
severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
shortages - when there are not enough goods for people to buy การขาดแคลน
persist - to continue ยืดเยื้อต่อไป
worst - the "most" bad
drought - a period of time when there is very little rain and water available (See Wikipedia) ความแห้งแล้ง
memory - something that you remember from the past; the ability to remember information, experiences and people ความจำ
reservoir - a natural or artificial lake where water is stored อ่างเก็บน้ำ
confirms - shows that it is really true
plight - in a difficult situation full of problems สภาพเลวร้าย
With rains bringing so much water each year, Thailand should never have to face severe water shortages if we knew how to manage water resources.
Unfortunately, we have been so spoiled by nature and as a result, proper water management continues to elude us, at both government and individual levels.
resources
- things such as coal, trees and oil that exist in nature and can be
used by people ทรัพยากร
spoiled - giving someone (usually a child) everything they want without them really having to do anything, so in the end they only think of themselves
nature - all the things that come before humans such as plants, animals, rivers, the ocean, the earth, mountains, insects..
elude - cannot find Y, want Y but can't get it (example: the fugitive Thaksin eluded capture)
proper - actual or real จริง (พระราชพิธีพระราชทานเพลิงพระศพจริง)
individual - involving single people แต่ละบุคคล
spoiled - giving someone (usually a child) everything they want without them really having to do anything, so in the end they only think of themselves
nature - all the things that come before humans such as plants, animals, rivers, the ocean, the earth, mountains, insects..
elude - cannot find Y, want Y but can't get it (example: the fugitive Thaksin eluded capture)
proper - actual or real จริง (พระราชพิธีพระราชทานเพลิงพระศพจริง)
individual - involving single people แต่ละบุคคล
Talks of constructing major dams have resumed, including a proposal to revive the much-studied Kaeng Sua Ten dam in Phrae Province. But little attention, if any, has been paid to rain-harvesting via clusters of small farm ponds and to planting crops that need less water than rice during the dry season.
This state of affairs partly reflects the standard approach at the government level: no problems can be solved without major construction projects since without them, politicians, their cronies and high-ranking government officials will not have a chance to line their pockets.
proposal
- a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
revive - being back to life, get started once again after stopping ฟื้นชีพ, ชุบชีวิต (
pay attention to Y - give your interest and time to Y
harvesting - collecting a crop from the fields การเก็บเกี่ยว
state - condition สภาพ
state of affairs - currently existing situation
X reflects Y - X shows that Y
standard approach - the usual way of doing things
affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
approach - a particular way of doing something or thinking about something, way of solving a problem วิธีการทำให้ถึงจุดหมาย, การจัดการกับปัญหา
construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
cronies - close friends helped by a business person
have a chance to - have an opportunity to, have a situation where you can do something you need or want to do
line their pockets - make money from taking accepting money from people for doing them favours (bribes)
revive - being back to life, get started once again after stopping ฟื้นชีพ, ชุบชีวิต (
pay attention to Y - give your interest and time to Y
harvesting - collecting a crop from the fields การเก็บเกี่ยว
state - condition สภาพ
state of affairs - currently existing situation
X reflects Y - X shows that Y
standard approach - the usual way of doing things
affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
approach - a particular way of doing something or thinking about something, way of solving a problem วิธีการทำให้ถึงจุดหมาย, การจัดการกับปัญหา
construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
cronies - close friends helped by a business person
have a chance to - have an opportunity to, have a situation where you can do something you need or want to do
line their pockets - make money from taking accepting money from people for doing them favours (bribes)
There have been no reports about discussions of the role played by consumption patterns and water uses at the individual level.
As the scope of this issue is vast, let me provide only a few examples, using some data from the book When the Rivers Run Dry, by Fred Pearce and the April 2010 issue of National Geographic, which devotes the entire issue to water.
role
- the purpose or influence of someone or something in a particular
situation บทบาท
role played by X in Y - the purpose or influence of X in situation Y
consumption - money spent by households and families on goods and services (See Wikipedia) การบริโภค
issue - a problem that needs to be considered ประเด็น
vast - very large in area, size, amount, etc. กว้างใหญ่, มหาศาล, ส่วนใหญ่
provide - give someone what they want or need
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
role played by X in Y - the purpose or influence of X in situation Y
consumption - money spent by households and families on goods and services (See Wikipedia) การบริโภค
issue - a problem that needs to be considered ประเด็น
vast - very large in area, size, amount, etc. กว้างใหญ่, มหาศาล, ส่วนใหญ่
provide - give someone what they want or need
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
It takes between 250 and 650 gallons of water to grow a pound of rice but only 130 gallons and 65 gallons, respectively, to grow the same amounts of wheat and potatoes. Although I do not have exact numbers, my own experiences tell me that growing other starchy food crops also take much less water than rice, including yam, sweet potato, corn, cassava, banana, plantain and taro (the species grown in Thailand, not in the South Pacific islands). These food items can be substituted for rice, which I have done for many years. In this connection, I would like to note also that varying daily consumption of these food items also saves energy and increases our chances of meeting daily requirements for vitamins and minerals.
respectively -
in the same order as the numbers given before...
starchy (adjective) - food that has a lot of starch in it
starch (noun) - a thick pasty substance used to make foods (See Wikipedia)
species - different kinds of plants and animals (See Wikipedia)
X substituted Y - X used instead of Y, X replaces Y
cassava - a plant used to make tapioca and also natural fuel for cars (See Wikipedia)
species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
In this connection, I would like to note that... - about this matter, this is also true...
varying - changing from time to time, not always doing the same thing
varying daily consumption - changing what you eat every day
energy - in physics
meeting daily requirements - get the amount you need each day
vitamin - natural substances found in food necessary for a healthy body, identified by a letter such as "vitamin C" found in fruit and vegetables (See Wikipedia)
mineral, dietary mineral - the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to describe ions (atoms), not chemical compounds or actual minerals. Examples include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and iodine. (See Wikipedia)
starchy (adjective) - food that has a lot of starch in it
starch (noun) - a thick pasty substance used to make foods (See Wikipedia)
species - different kinds of plants and animals (See Wikipedia)
X substituted Y - X used instead of Y, X replaces Y
cassava - a plant used to make tapioca and also natural fuel for cars (See Wikipedia)
species - a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other พันธ์,จำพวก
In this connection, I would like to note that... - about this matter, this is also true...
varying - changing from time to time, not always doing the same thing
varying daily consumption - changing what you eat every day
energy - in physics
meeting daily requirements - get the amount you need each day
vitamin - natural substances found in food necessary for a healthy body, identified by a letter such as "vitamin C" found in fruit and vegetables (See Wikipedia)
mineral, dietary mineral - the chemical elements required by living organisms, other than the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen present in common organic molecules. The term "mineral" is archaic, since the intent of the definition is to describe ions (atoms), not chemical compounds or actual minerals. Examples include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and iodine. (See Wikipedia)
I have not been to South Korea recently, but when I was there last, the Korean government urged citizens to cook rice with other grains and to abstain from eating rice one day a week. China has promoted production and consumption of potatoes and is now the largest potato producer in the world. These practices save a lot of water although China still needs to spend close to $100 billion to build the Three Gorges dam and a canal system to transport water from there to the parched Beijing region.
urged
- advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน
abstain - to decide not to use your vote ไม่ออกเสียง
promoted - moved to a higher position in the organization
producer - a company or whole country that makes some good and sells it on markets
practices - ways of doing commonly repeated tasks
Three Gorges dam - a dam on China's Yangtze River that is the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind (hydroelectric power generator) (See Wikipedia)
canal - hydroelectric river
transport - to move people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง
parched - dried out because of too much heat and not enough rain แห้งแล้ง
abstain - to decide not to use your vote ไม่ออกเสียง
promoted - moved to a higher position in the organization
producer - a company or whole country that makes some good and sells it on markets
practices - ways of doing commonly repeated tasks
Three Gorges dam - a dam on China's Yangtze River that is the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind (hydroelectric power generator) (See Wikipedia)
canal - hydroelectric river
transport - to move people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง
parched - dried out because of too much heat and not enough rain แห้งแล้ง
Regarding meat, it takes 1,857 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, while the same amounts of pork and chicken take 757 gallons and 469 gallons, respectively. To produce a cup of coffee requires 37 gallons of water while a cup of tea takes 9 gallons. Wine and beer takes 32 gallons and 20 gallons, respectively, per glass.
The list goes on.
Many of these products can be substituted or left out of our diet altogether without materially affecting our standards of living.
left out of our diet - not
eaten
materially affecting Y - significantly affecting, having a great effect on
standard - an acceptable level of quality มาตราฐาน
standard of living - quality of life in a society or group of people as measured by income, access to health care and education, income inequality and poverty, life expectancy, etc (See Wikipedia)
materially affecting Y - significantly affecting, having a great effect on
standard - an acceptable level of quality มาตราฐาน
standard of living - quality of life in a society or group of people as measured by income, access to health care and education, income inequality and poverty, life expectancy, etc (See Wikipedia)
What we choose to consume or refrain from consuming, therefore, can significantly change our demand for water.
Regarding water uses, we also have many options. We may take a full bath as practised in the Western world or clean ourselves with a couple of gallons of water as some people do. These represent the two extreme ends of self cleaning. Amounts of water used vary greatly in other daily activities depending on the habit of each individual, be it in brushing teeth or in washing dishes. The size of the toilet tank also makes a lot of difference.
consume
- to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
refrain - to stop yourself from doing something ระงับ เลิก
significantly - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ
demand - the amount of goods and services that a person wants
consume - to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
refrain - to stop yourself from doing something ระงับ เลิก
significantly - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ
options - choices ทางเลือก
couple - two (or a little more maybe)
represent - to act, speak or be present officially for another person or people เป็นตัวแทน
extreme - very great in degree (at one far end of a series of values)
extreme ends - examples that are the most different
vary greatly - are very different (depending on the person or the time, etc)
habit - something done regulary by a person without really thinking about it
refrain - to stop yourself from doing something ระงับ เลิก
significantly - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ
demand - the amount of goods and services that a person wants
consume - to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
refrain - to stop yourself from doing something ระงับ เลิก
significantly - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ
options - choices ทางเลือก
couple - two (or a little more maybe)
represent - to act, speak or be present officially for another person or people เป็นตัวแทน
extreme - very great in degree (at one far end of a series of values)
extreme ends - examples that are the most different
vary greatly - are very different (depending on the person or the time, etc)
habit - something done regulary by a person without really thinking about it
As the Thai government's approach to water management leaves much to be desired, and most Thais are so spoiled by nature as to be unaware of the impact of their daily activities on water resources, I see a much bigger role for NGOs, which up to now have been much less active in this sector than in many others, in promoting awareness in various segments of society that we should no longer take water for granted.
Sawai Boonma has worked for more than two decades as a development economist. He can be reached at
leaves much to be desired - could
be a lot better
unaware - not understanding or realising something ซึ่งไม่รู้ตัวมาก่อน
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
active - working, operating, doing its job
sector - a part of a country's economic or business activity (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ) (See Wikipedia)
awareness - the state of knowing about something การรับรู้, การทราบ
take for granted - use something like you will always have it (without questioning where it comes and the possibility that you may not have it in the future)
decades - periods of ten years เป็นสิบๆปี
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
unaware - not understanding or realising something ซึ่งไม่รู้ตัวมาก่อน
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
active - working, operating, doing its job
sector - a part of a country's economic or business activity (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ) (See Wikipedia)
awareness - the state of knowing about something การรับรู้, การทราบ
take for granted - use something like you will always have it (without questioning where it comes and the possibility that you may not have it in the future)
decades - periods of ten years เป็นสิบๆปี
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
(Source: Local News, OUTSIDE THE BOX, Water is too important to be left to the government, 23/06/2010, Sawai Boonma, link)
