Bangkok on alert as deadly floods hit a third of Thailand
Al JazeeraNov 26, 2021
The Facts
Since Friday, the province of Narathiwat in Thailand's south has been inundated with heavy rainfall, resulting in severe flooding that has destroyed infrastructure, closed schools, and forced residents to shelter in their homes.
The most significant impacts occurred in the Rueso district, which received 651mm (25.6 inches) of rain — the heaviest rainfall recorded in the region in over 10 years. In addition to the residential flooding, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency said that more than 14K hectares (34.6K acres) of land had been inundated, including agricultural land.
The Spin
Narrative A
As the planet warms, the climate risk to Thailand grows, as evidenced by the country's jump to ninth place in the ranking of countries impacted by extreme weather — up from 43rd place in 2011. No region has been spared the severe impacts, but Bangkok is the most vulnerable. Without significant investment in infrastructure by the government, Bangkok stands to lose its shoreline, which will reduce tourism and the country's economy.
Narrative B
Despite what critics say, the Thai government has improved its response to climate change. A recent surge in urgency has resulted in many policies that pledge to meet the most ambitious climate goals to date. The policy changes are expected to drive the economy in sustainable ways and will reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels — growing the nation's job outlook and reducing its environmental footprint.