Showing 1 - 3 of 3
Mekong dilemmas need political will to resolve
News, Apichai Sunchindah, Published on 26/07/2019
» Last year, we were saddened by the hazards related to dam failures in the Mekong River basin after one of the saddle dams on the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydro-electric project in Laos collapsed and the large amounts of impounded water then gushed downstream, causing massive inundation and damage to property, crops, livestock, lost livelihoods and some human casualties. The cause of the dam disaster has been attributed to sub-standard construction and unusually high rainfall.
Why the capital needs to get smarter
News, Apichai Sunchindah, Published on 06/02/2019
» Bangkokians have been suffering from serious smog episodes over the past month, with the wearing of face masks becoming the norm. While the root causes of this health-threatening and unpleasant phenomenon are many, one of the culprits is the high number of vehicles plying the city's thoroughfares, and chief among this is the use of private cars.
Dam calamity a wake-up call for Mekong hazards
News, Apichai Sunchindah, Published on 31/07/2018
» The recent case of the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy dam collapse in Laos is a timely reminder that there are potential hazardous factors associated with the failure of storage dams. These include large mass movements into a reservoir close to the dam such as a sudden influx of water and/or huge falling rocks, design errors, poor construction, faulty operation of reservoirs, sabotage, terrorism, acts of war and seismic risks.