Flood Management of Namrob Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, Phunphin, Suratthani

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to study the flood situation as well as to study the activities, and the local community process of Namrob Subdistrict to cope with flood in Namrob, Phunphin, Suratthani. The results showed that flood management of Namrob and the local community process of Namrob to cope with its flood such as alarming, aiding, drainage, ameliorating/restoring as follows: 1) Alarming: It was found that last year, Namrob Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO) had put on a warning to the broadcast tower to forecast the weather to the public and announce the villagers to evacuate to safe places. The SAO also surveyed risk locations and routes to move elderly, people with disabilities and children to a safe place in a short amount of time as well as warned people of the floods and to prepare. The benefit of having an accurate forecast system and timely alarm system was that they could protect the people and their properties, reduce death toll, and damages. There should be an efficient plan to reduce death toll, damages, and injuries that everyone must follow in order to protect themselves and help each other in the community to avoid damages by placing sandbags, etc. As for flood relief, floods would make the flow of water easier to predict, thus made it easier to forecast the flood accurately. The alarming would benefit those who were agricultural workers to realise when to move their animals and people and there should be an efficient plan to move them and rescue equipment during the floods. 2) Aiding: Last year, Namrob SAO provided adequate survival bags and dry food to the people who severely suffered from the flood as a priority. Public disaster prevention and mitigation centres, and refugee camps were established. Electricity, water survival bags, dry food, medicine and boats were also provided to the people. There should be programmes to help the people after the flood by providing them with places to live and agricultural areas for their living as well as providing money as support. Encouragement to the victims was also important to help them, and relevant organisations should be coordinated to assist and facilitate the victims in various aspects. As for providing medical services, the people were treated in the clinics or in the field by field medical units, using budget from Namrob SAO and related offices. Agricultural areas and other properties were also surveyed for damages after the flood. District office or other related organisations were notify to provide primary assistance such as by distributing boats and officers to help. 3) Drainage: Since the area of Namrob was next to Pumduang River and it received the water from farmland and neighbouring areas for a long time, it was difficult to drain the flood out of Namrob because it was like draining water body out of a basin by dredging natural waterways to increase water flow without ruining the waterways or soil surfaces. 4) Ameliorating/Restoring: Last year, Namrob SAO went to investigate the damages from the flood on the streets, houses and plantations. Money was provided according to the policy of the government to help them and encourage them to make a living and cooperate with the officials in the future.