Irrigation and Flood Control in Thailand: Kwai Noi Dam Plan Passes First Stage by Phairath Khampha 22 January 2003 Thailand's Royal Irrigation Department started 2003 by reviving plans for the 6.78 billion baht Kwai Noi dam in Phitsanulok province. The department claimed it would prevent flood and drought and improve irrigation in the upper Chao Phraya river basin. Cabinet's screening panel on January 7 endorsed the project and it was likely to get the go-ahead soon, Agriculture Minister Sora-at Klinprathum said. The ministry would also push for construction of the Kaeng Sue Ten dam in Phrae and Mae Wong dam in Nakhon Sawan. The ministry, however, was instructed that it should solicit the assistance of international engineering consulting firms for the projects owing to a number of various issues, including non-technical, 'soft' issues. And the seismic fault nearby the Kwai Noi dam site was taken lightly by the government and shrugged off with only 50 million baht set aside for risk prevention. Environmentalists had urged a hold on the Kwai Noi project, arguing the RID's environmental and social impact assessments were incomplete and seriously inaccurate and it would do better to have the projects reviewed and designed using the assistance of internaitonal dam experts with experience in environmental and social issues. "This is a royally initiated project, so cabinet's decision must be based on balanced and reliable information," said Hannarong Yaowalert of Wildlife Fund Thailand. The dam, first proposed in 1972, would be built on the Kwai Noi river in Wat Bot district. The project returned to the limelight in November 2002 when His Majesty the King told Deputy Prime Minister Suwit Khunkitti the dam was needed urgently to relieve flood and drought. Mr Sora-at claimed local villagers would welcome the dam as it would improve the irrigation of more than 150,000 rai (1 rai = 1,600 m2) of farmland in Kwai Noi river basin. "No one is opposed to the dam because it is royally initiated, and it would definitely be worth the investment," he said. Only 143 families would have to be relocated. Chuchart Chuiklom, director of the Kwai Noi dam project, said the National Environment Board had not approved the dam and had asked for further study of the likely impact and environmental and social mitigation plans. "This would not hinder the project. The study could be made after cabinet gives approval," Mr Chuchart said. The reservoir would store 769 million cubic metres of water and would flood 12,000 rai of forest and 13,000 rai of farmland. Eighty-eight fish species would be affected. If cabinet gave approval this month construction could be completed in 2007, the King's 80th birthday [if he were still to be alive]. Mr Hannarong said environmentalists and academics were concerned about the risks because the dam would be sited on an active fault line, hence the need for dam experts with experience in designing dams and dam safety in seismically active areas of the world. "Moreover, the reservoir would destroy a pristine protected forest which was to become Kaeng Ched Kwai national Park," he said. He urged the RID submit well-rounded and balanced information, particularly on the number of villagers who would be moved, to cabinet and the National Environment Board. "If the RID conceals the true impact of the project it will create a bad image for the royally-initiated project," he said. He pointed to Pa Sak dam in Lop Buri and Nakhon Nayok provinces, saying the RID reported that 3,000 families would be relocated, but after the dam was built 7,880 houses were inundated and more families had to be relocated. He believed more than 143 families would have to be moved to make way for the Kwai Noi dam. Seismic fault taken lightly - only 50 million baht set aside for risk prevention The Royal Irrigation Department said it would set aside only 50 million baht for risk prevention against an active seismic fault line at the proposed site of the 6.78 billion-baht Kwae Noi dam in Phitsanulok province, Agriculture Minister Sora-at Klinprathum said on January 13. He said cabinet would take up the project for consideration despite objections from the National Environment Board that it needed more time to study the dangers posed by the fault line to the dam's foundation and the environmental and social mitigation plan. "The RID could definitely handle its environmental and social impact. However, the department would study the NEB's suggestions in detail once the cabinet approves the project," Mr Sora-at said. Irrigation chief Samart Chokanapitak explained that the fault line would not force the dam to spring any leaks even if the area was hit by seismic activity, because the line was located under the dam's reservoir, which would inundate around 20,000 rai of forest land. "The fault line would not cause any damage to the dam. On the other hand, it would be beneficial to villagers nearby because any water leakage through the fault would help increase underground water," Mr Samart said. Furthermore, the corrupt senior officials became concerned that more delays would mean a delay to lucrative construction contracts, from which they could steal up to 45 percent of the budgets. many were getting close to retirement and further delays would mean that after years of haggling they still would not be able to personally profit from the project. The dam was first proposed in 1972, would be built on the Kwae Noi river in Wat Bot district. Mr Samart claimed the dam would also help irrigate more than 150,000 rai of farmland in the river basin. Flooding supposedly would also ease in Phitsanulok's Muang district as it would be able to hold an extra 8 percent of floodwater that normally flowed downstream and hit Bangkok during the rainy season, he said. The dam would affect quite a number of villagers "whom the department would compensate properly". "The RID would compensate the villagers that are going to be relocated as best as possible. The scheme would be set as a standard for villagers who would be affected by Kaeng Sue Ten dam in Phrae province," said Mr Samart. "Best as possible" means with whatever little money would be left over from the compensation budgets after they were raided by the corrupt officials and politicians. According to a survey in 1999, 143 families would have to be relocated. The RID would spend around 600 million baht to rehabilitate the livelihood of these villagers. The National Environment Board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suvit Khunkitti, approved the Environmental Impact Assessment of the dam in a rubber-stamping exercise on December 24 on the condition the RID conducted a technical study to assess the dangers of the fault line and improve a compensation scheme for villagers who would be adversely impacted by the dam. A source at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, meanwhile, said Environment Minister Praphat Panyachartrak demanded the project be shelved, saying that the project developer had disregarded public participation and the project's site selection was not appropriate. "A large amount of taxpayers' money would have to be wasted if the dam was to be made earthquake-resistant," the source said. Money spent on seismic work well worth spending That fact that the politicians and government officials said a lot of money will be wasted if the dam is made earthquake-resistant clearly underscored their lack of understanding in the international standards applied to the design of dams. It is the practice today that all large dams be earthquake-resistant. The additional cost of earthquake resistance for a new dam is usually small when the basic seismic guidelines are followed during the design of the dam. This leads to safer dams, which can better withstand other types of action. The money invested in the earthquake safety of a dam is money well spent as it reduces the overall risk of a dam project. A potentially active fault in the reservoir region does not change this fact as well designed and constructed dams can resist earthquakes. However, if an active fault should pass directly through the foundations of the dam then a more suitable site should be selected.