Five of the 25 provinces were  hit by serious floods in the recent rainy season - Sukhothai, Phrae, Nan, Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat, Siriphong Hangsa-phruek, head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environ-ment's Water Resource Depart-ment, said. Other provinces include Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, Lampang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Si Sa Ket, Loei and Maha Sarakham.

Siriphong said the forecast was conducted for the first time as part of measures to prepare Thailand for the coming El Nino.

"We have monitored most areas of Thailand, scanning for the areas which are most sensitive to drought," he said.

The 25 provinces regarded as drought sensitive were judged on three factors: length of time since the last rainy day, irrigated or non-irrigated status and water reserves, Siriphong said.

"This year we plan not to just sit and wait until the problem occurs. We will fight against it right from the beginning, starting with scanning for drought sensitive areas, and we will do our best to minimise the crisis in those areas in close cooperation with the Interior Ministry," he said.

"Unlike previous years when we focussed on trying to beat the drought by shipping water to affected villages, we will encourage them to build village-based pipe water systems as much as possible," he said.

The Water Resources Depart-ment, which had been building pipe systems for years, expected to complete about 1,000 systems by March before the drought season reaches a peak.

Janjira Pongrai

The Nation

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Water-holding areas move

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration wants a regulation to force housing estates and private land plots in the capital to earmark 2.5 per cent of their total land as water-retention areas.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Bannasophit Mekwichai said yesterday a regulation had already been forwarded to the Lands Department.

"If the Lands Department approves the regulation, it can take effect as soon as it is announced in the Royal Gazette," she said.

She said water-retention areas must be at least one metre deep and linked to public waterways. The move would help prevent floods.