Underground water Extraction - It's impact on Bangkok

An underground water system is a complex system. It can be disastrous, if we start manipulating a system without understanding it in totality.

Like every other system, underground water is sustainable if it is used in a certain way and for certain yield. Underground water is stored in aquifers. Water from surface percolates and naturally replenishes it. Extracting underground water without replenishing it can lead to a point when this entire system will break down. And what everyone must understand is that some of these changes are irreversible.

       The problem with groundwater usage is that it is a reinforcing system loop. That means as extraction goes on, more and more extraction will follow. We can see from the diagram above that groundwater extraction will lead to expansion of factories and cities. Then the growth of economy will follow resulting in bigger factories and cities. Finally the increasing population and production will require more groundwater extraction and hence reinforcing the system.

It is such an irony that many parts of the world are hit by flood and drought in the same year. But if we study the underground water system, we will notice the fact that these are inter-related. Everyone knows that flood is the opposite of drought, but what we fail to reason is that if we can put aside a part of flood water, it will lead to less flooding and if we can use this water in dry seasons, there will be no drought.

So what we basically need is to manage the water given to us in a better and sustainable way, rather than just thinking for short term gains.

The problem area we are focusing to start with is in Bangkok in Thailand.

The underground water source under Bangkok is one of the largest reservoirs of underground water in Thailand. A survey from BGCR (Bureau of Groundwater Conservation and Restoration, www.dgr.go.th ) also stated that quality of groundwater under Bangkok is at an acceptable level for household and industrial usage.

Following the growth of the economy, massive expansion of factories around Bangkok area brought about massive demand for water. Without an efficient city layout, it became impossible to supply an adequate amount of water required by several industries. Huge extraction of underground water then followed.

Increasing extraction of underground water affects balance of nature directly and indirectly causing soil to subside. When the soil level goes down, the rain water gets accumulated and stagnates. Near the shore areas, the sea water seeps in leading to flooding and water stagnation.

The absence/decrease of underground water also leads to the contamination of underground water by saline water from the ocean.

These issues can be addressed, if we use the underground water in a sustainable way. For this we must know the underground water system of the aquifers in Bangkok region and keeping a track of the health of the aquifers. We can provide the consultancy services and do the water planning for companies and other land development projects. We can also do water planning for different corporation by putting system in place which can replenish the groundwater in a sustainable way. Apart from that, we can educate stakeholders in all levels about the aquifers and give guidance on proper usage.

Above diagram is the stakeholders of groundwater extraction. The diagram is divided into two parts: Direct Stakeholders (who will be affected from extraction directly) and Indirect Stakeholders. We can see clearly that by extracting water, many parties in Thailand and even world wide will be affected.