Patani Diversion Dam: The Impacts of Water Resources Development

Water resources development (WRD) is very important in strengthening the national economic status. Dams, reservoirs, and the irrigation systems were intended for the purpose of converting water into energy and irrigating agricultural land. It has been an ideal mean for national economic development for most countries in the world in the early period of 20th century. The benefit gain from WRD is appreciated by several sectors for example urban dwellers enjoy electricity, labors enjoy employment, farmer get more products than usual. WRD projects have also a downside, especially in tropical countries have created the socioeconomic and health problems, lost the ancestral land and livelihood in the construction of Azwan Dam in Egypt, Bhumiphol Dam in the north and Patani Dam in the south of Thailand beside many families had to be evacuated from their homeland before the impoundment. The environment and ecological systems faced the direct threat from the projects. The cultivation area of the people in Patani dam had been stopped(because  unintentionally the land was flooding by the project) and the people had to explore a new lands for cultivation in the province of Yala, Narthiwat or Songkhla. The new land means forestry and conserve area will face the threat from these people who have a negative effect from the WRD project. More threat from Patani Dam, Coming Soon.

Thank : Satasiri Sornmani & Kamolnetr Okanurak

Ten of Thousand Rai of Paddy Fields Turned to Grass Field
After the Pattani  Irrigation Project Launched,
Mayo District, Patani Province