Stemming the floodwaters

Mae Sai must learn how to live with annual floods, while protecting its assets and way of life, writes Apinya Wipatayotin

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Last year, floods in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province caused economic losses in the millions.

Experts believe this could be the beginning of an annual pattern of damage caused by severe natural disasters.

In May alone, Mae Sai, a border town opposite Myanmar's Tachileik to the west and 900km north of Bangkok, flooded twice.

A mass of water from the Sai River rushed through the city. Gold and rare earth mining in Myanmar was said to be the culprit, as well as mega-scale single crop plantations.

These activities led to large-scale deforestation which worsens flooding.

Wannasin Keerakad, municipal clerk of Mae Sai subdistrict municipality, recalled how locals were never affected by floods on the scale seen today.

The expansion of the town, which led to intrusion along the river bank, combined with the absence of fertile forest to absorb the floodwater, has contributed to the worsening damage.

The town is home to some 20,000 residents, according to the civil registration system, but when combined with those not registered, that number could be double, he said.

Buildings illegally constructed on the river bank create a narrower natural waterway.

"We don’t just suffer from floods, but mud also. The Sai River has carried several tonnes of mud [from the Myanmar side] and hit the town. The situation will become worse if the mining continues," he said.