CHIANG MAI — Images and video clips of flash floods inundating the Elephant Nature Park in Kuet Chang Subdistrict, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai, have been shared on social media with urgent pleas for help. This disaster occurred as the provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai were once again hit by flooding.
Despite the province’s heightened alert and communication systems, evacuating the several thousand animals — especially the older, disabled elephants, more than 100, as well as the pigs, cows, buffalo and domestic animals such as dogs and cats at a 400-rai center – proved difficult.
On October 4, the flood situation in Chiang Mai province remained critical. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation dispatched 40 forest rangers and rescue workers – 20 from the Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary and 20 from the Sri Lanna National Park – to provide assistance.
They have helped move 117 elephants to higher ground in safe areas, but there are still 9 elephants left behind and many other animals. However, due to the high water levels in the area, officials were unable to access the affected areas. As a result, they coordinated with the Chiang Mai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office to procure flat-bottomed boats for transporting personnel and equipment to help distressed animals.
The Elephant Nature Park posted a message around 4 p.m. on October 4 stating that elephants, cows, and buffaloes have been swept away through tunnels by the water. If anyone sees them, they can contact the center’s team.
Saengduean Chailert, head of the Save Elephant Foundation, which oversees the care center, said this flash flood from the mountain was the most severe they have ever experienced and they barely had time to respond. Since 5 am on October 3, the center had mobilized elephant caretakers and volunteers to help evacuate the animals, including dogs, cats and blind elephants, throughout the day until they were all safe.
“Although we have a team that regularly monitors the water level, this time it was much worse than in previous years. The water came with such force that it felt like a dam burst. Within minutes it had reached the center, rising up to the elephants’ necks and flooding about 85% of the area, including places that had never been flooded before,” said Saengduean.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Friday morning that officials had helped evacuate about 126 elephants, of which 117 were already safe and 9 remained. Other animals were also taken to the safe areas of the center. He believed they should be out of danger but they were still in the process of securing everything.
This week’s floods follow efforts in northern provinces, including Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, to recover from major flooding in mid-September. The government has allocated 3 billion baht in relief funds to distribute to those affected. Meanwhile, the political debate on long-term solutions continues as global climate variability is expected to increase.
An earlier study entitled “Urbanization and Regional Expansion” by the Northern Office of the Bank of Thailand and the Faculty of Economics at Chiang Mai College has shown that urban expansion has become a significant factor contributing to flooding in northern Thailand.
Satellite data on built-up area between 2016 and 2022 shows that the built-up area in the north has grown rapidly, by 192 square kilometers or 0.13 percent. Chiang Mai led the region in urban expansion, followed by other provinces such as Chiang Rai, Phetchabun, Tak, Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok.
This expansion has had an impact on land use, particularly forested areas that act as natural sponges that absorb, store and slow down rainwater.
The 2023-2024 Thai Forest Situation report by the Land Management Bureau of the Ministry of Forestry shows that forest areas in northern Thailand are continuing to decline. In 2023, the north had 37,976,519.37 rai (15,190,607.75 acres) of forest, or 63.24 percent of the region, a decrease of 171,143.04 rai (68,457.22 acres) from 2022.
The primary causes include land use changes for agriculture, community expansion, and increasingly severe forest fires. As forest areas shrink, so does the region’s water absorption capacity, significantly contributing to flash floods.
Moreover, unplanned urban expansion without proper city planning has disrupted drainage systems, exacerbating the severity of floods.
Local scholar Nattakorn Witheethanon explained that flooding is closely linked to urban planning. One example is the construction of the Chiang Mai Superhighway, which has blocked the natural waterways from Doi Suthep, causing flooding in many areas, especially along Huay Kaew Road near Chiang Mai College.
At the same time, a 2023 survey of forested land in Chiang Mai found that 9.44 million rai or 68.29 percent of the province was forested, with all districts except Saraphi affected by deforestation. The forested area in Chiang Mai decreased by 71,730 rai or 0.52 percent compared to 2022.
Plodprasop Suraswadi, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), said satellite images from GISTDA showing mudslides covering houses in Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai were caused by land inside Thailand and not Myanmar.
For over a decade, villagers in the northern hills have been known to grow maize, promoted by large companies producing animal feed. They claim this reduces imports that would otherwise increase meat prices in the country and make exports less competitive — a selfish and poor justification.
“I would like to warn that we are in a La Niña era and the age of climate change. That means more moisture and clouds from the evaporation of the oceans, which leads to more rain and flooding, big or small. We can not stop this, but we can mitigate the effects. We are losing 100,000 rai of forest every year.
I suggest that to protect the country’s watersheds, the government should compensate by reducing the cost of corn used as animal feed. This would be more cost-effective than the damage caused by erosion, which threatens the fertility of Thailand’s forests and reduces the risk of landslides, as has happened recently,” he said.
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