Flood response ideas
Re: "When flood warnings come too late", (Opinion, Nov 29).
It must be obvious by now, to everyone who lives in Thailand, that a solution to widespread seasonal flooding is not at hand. Blaming the government, while tempting, will not solve anything. Throwing one's hands in the air and blaming everything on climate change will not solve anything either. I would like to suggest several points which I hope might help alleviate the suffering by people in flood prone areas.
There are numerous inflatable raft manufacturers and or sellers in Thailand. Why does the government not have a design competition for rafts that are built for survival during floods and give the winner a contract for 200,000 rafts to start?
The government can specify the features required, such as an easily retractable roof and solar panels on the side of the raft which would charge a battery. Small electric compressors are cheap and already a feature of inflatable household mattresses. It was recently announced that EV motorcycle sales are not what the government had hoped for.
Why not ask motorcycle EV manufacturers to work with the winner of the raft design contest to allow an electric motorcycle to power the raft through its battery system? A removable rigid bottom that would allow not only motor cycles to be carried, but allow for cooking and sleeping. Every raft would have a unique VIN, and one would be given to every registered household in flood hit areas for the last 15 years. A floatable carrying case would contain each raft.
Also part of the competition would be designing large inflatable flotation platforms that would serve as emergency kitchens that cook and hand out food. Other large platforms like this could also serve as clinics, police security posts, and both food and fuel supply points. This would also be a cost to the government, but it would not be a huge cost relative to government revenue or reserves.
Very large elevated car parks should be built near flood prone areas. They won't be able to hold all the vehicles in one area, but maybe the motorways can hold the rest as some are doing now?
These dedicated car parks would then be used to store the kitchen, clinic, and police platforms noted above during non-flood seasons.
Floods just don't happen in Thailand. If the raft designs are creatively done to do the best job possible in protecting and providing comfort to people in harm's way, this would then become an export opportunity.
This would provide additional employment and revenue to the government.
A simple idea, easy to execute and finance, would provide an enduring legacy for any government that wished to take up the challenge. Solutions for mitigating the floods is a letter for another day.
