Water quality indicators Water Pollution

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7.2 Water quality indicators Water Pollution

Concerning water pollution, only data for three cities is available Chiang Rai, Songkhla, Samut Sakhon. In Thailand, the waterbodies pollution has been classified into 5 categories: 1 Less polluted 2 Good quality 3 Moderate 4 Low 5 Highly polluted Many communities use the Mekong river water for domestic purposes such as dinking and cooking. The pollution level of the river as well as the current more frequent events of drought, influence the decrease of water quality of river .Compared to the contents in normal water, the level of high concentration of bacteria within the same amount of river water, can affect a larger population. Current level of health hazard thus may increase, especially in terms of water related diseases with the use of polluted river water. The concerned pollutants contain in the Kok River which is running through the city are Dissolved Oxygen DO and Total Coliform Bacteria TCB. The city due to expansion of its urban activities has become one of the sources of the pollution and is also the place where the rate of TCB is highest. Meanwhile the Mekong aquifer as a network of pollutant sources highly contributes to the pollution state of settlements in and around the Mekong River. Chiang Rai municipality which is located downstream is one of them. One type of sources can be the spills from ships and industrial pollutants coming from China through the Mekong River. In addition wastes from domestic sewage, landfills and unplanned solid waste deposits contribute to the pollution of the Mekong River and subsequently also contribute to the increasing trends in pollution of the Kok River. As reported in the PCD document, the pollution types found in each city is summarized in Table 7.2. 108 Table 7.2. Summarize of the pollution types Source: Thailand Pollution Control Dept. City Name of river Issue above standard Pollution class Source of pollution Highest concentration of pollution Remarks Chiang Rai Ko River FCB 23 2 Amphoe Muang Chiang Rai Amphoe Muang 50 of FCB in 2008 Ing River FCB TCB 7 50 2 Songkhla Songkhl a Lake NH3 FCB BOD 28 20 - 3 4 Amphoe Muang Songkhla Water quality is decreasing. 2008 high concentratio n of pollution type 4 Samut Sakhon Tadjin River NH3 FCB TCB DO 62 47 46 53 4 Amphoe Muang Samut Sakhon Amphoe Muang Kratuban Stable Trend: Analyses done areas close to river at Amphoe Muang Thus, the data indicates that the pollution level of water is moderate to low quality over Songkhla, which can be considered to be same as Hat Yai . Over Samut Sakhon it is found to be of low quality. On the other hand over Chiang Rai it is relatively high. 109 8 Assessment of sector based vulnerability In any country cities are considered to be the engines of economic growth and centers of innovation. The foundation of economic prosperity and prominence for most of the provincial cities selected for the study obviously lie in their long standing relationship with the other parts of the province and with other major cities of the country. The long standing relationship with other parts of its own province obviously is connected with the services offered by various sectors and benefits as they are dependent on the lead urban center of the province. The relationship with other main cities is due to favorable conditions offered by the respective provincial cities in terms of their unique economic growth, production patterns, services etc which has also created inter-dependency. If vulnerability is understood as the degree to which whole urban system or its sectors likely to experience damages and losses due to exposure to various external stresses its worthwhile to examine the attributes alone to evaluate the impacts on such systems and their capacity in responding to such stresses created by the potential Climate Change hazards. The city of Hat Yai being a city located near border between Malaysia with Thailand has facilitated trade between the countries and contributed to economic prosperity not only of the neighboring provinces but also of the country. Chiang Rai and Udon Thani located in the Northern provinces, traditionally rich in agriculture; mainly serve as conduits for comers as a supply base of agricultural products to Agro-based industrial regions and consumers. Phuket is a tourism hub and being a province with one of the highest per capita incomes in the country has a major contribution to country’s wealth, culture, etc. Samut Sakhon has recorded a phenomenal achievements being an important center of growth due to its strategic location which has direct link to capital city of Bangkok. The fact that so many people are attracted to such provincial cities annually due to vary valid reasons mentioned above, and that these cities continue to grow, underscores the importance of assessing the physical vulnerability of such cities to external stresses expected due to climate hazards. With the conceptual understanding of vulnerability, it becomes clear that the ability of City Authorities to develop strategies to attenuate stresses or cope with the consequences depend on their understanding of such vulnerabilities exist in different sectors they are mandated to handle within their jurisdiction. It is necessary to assess who and what are at risk and how specific stresses evolve in to provide more and more exposure of such sectors to such risks. Vulnerability can be assessed in terms of level of exposure to stresses created by climate change, adequacy or capacity of the given sector to cope, alternate measures available at short notice to help rapid recovery from such stresses. Housing and human settlements, infrastructure, industry, trade and commerce, utility services, education, health and sanitation, urban planning etc are such key sectors that can be vulnerable to such stresses due to climate change. The limited performance of these sectors during and after flooding and other climate hazard occurrences increase the vulnerability of city dwellers and such vulnerability various according to the level of exposure and their economic and social status. Obviously poor suffer the most and their vulnerability is much higher. Loss of life, livelihoods, impacts upon human health, loss and damages to assets and capital are observed to be the key vulnerability indicators. 110

8.1 Vulnerability of housing and human settlements.