The drought-stricken Kwan Phayao Lake in Phayao province in northern Thailand in May 2023. (Photo: bangkokpost.com) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has said drought, floods and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change could cause damage worth 36 billion THB (1 billion USD) to the Thai economy this year. Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), a key member of the JSCCIB, stressed that water scarcity caused by drought is the committee's leading concern because it could have a massive impact on both the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, hampering already sluggish exports. According to the Commerce Ministry's latest data, in the first four months of 2023 Thai exports decreased by 5.2% year-on-year to 92 billion USD, while imports fell by 2.2% to 96.5 billion USD, resulting in a trade deficit of 4.51 billion USD. drought , hoping to work with the … [Read more...] about Thailand forecasts huge losses caused by climate change
Water resource assessment
Children lost for 40 days in Colombian Amazon found alive
"A joy for the whole country! The 4 children who were lost 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle were found alive," Petro wrote on Twitter. His post included a photograph of several adults, some dressed in military fatigues, attending to the children who were sitting on tarps among the dense forest. "They are weak. Let's let the doctors make their assessment," Petro told the press in Bogota. Originally from the Uitoto Indigenous group, the children -- aged 13, nine, four and one -- had been wandering alone in the jungle since May 1, when the Cessna 206 in which they were traveling crashed. The bodies of three adults who had been with them -- their mother, the pilot and a relative -- were all found at the crash site by the army. A massive search by 160 soldiers and 70 Indigenous people with intimate knowledge of the jungle had been under way ever since for the youngsters, garnering global attention. The area is home to jaguars, snakes and other predators, as well as armed … [Read more...] about Children lost for 40 days in Colombian Amazon found alive
Kien Giang kick-starts military-civilian program in 2024
Themed “Kien Giang provincial armed forces together with the party organization, authorities, and people of Hon Dat district build new-style rural area,” the program will take place from June 2023 to January 2024. As planned, the program will facilitate the construction of 115 houses for needy households and seven rural bridges; present gifts to policy beneficiaries, poor and near-poor families; provide health examination, medicines, and consultation for locals. The organizing panel will present scholarships to needy students with good academic results; build electricity systems in rural areas; carry out environment projects; and hold artistic and sporting events and competitions. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the Kien Giang provincial People’s Committee and head of the steering committee Nguyen Luu Trung evaluated that this mass mobilization model bears profound socio-political and humane significance, embodying the tradition of "When drinking water, remember its … [Read more...] about Kien Giang kick-starts military-civilian program in 2024