A DROUGHT OF UNDERSTANDING

Tonight there will be a new moon. According to the Thai lunar calendar, tomorrow will be the first day of the sixth month. And that reminds me of the classic Thai country song Fon Duen Hok ( Rain Of The Sixth Month) and its famous description of rice fields at this time of year, when the air is moist with light rain and filled with the resonating frog calls that mark the beginning of monsoon season.

Yes, over four decades ago when the legendary songwriter Paiboon Butkhan penned the masterpiece that shot singer Rungphet Lamsing to stardom, nature’s balance was still pretty much intact and the seasons were usually punctual. In the past, people were well-adapted to the natural cycle. Farmers, for example, scheduled each stage of the rice-growing process in accordance with the rainy season. Virtually every family had big jars placed on the side of their house for storing — for household consumption during the dry months — the rainwater that fell from the roofs. Like frogs and other animals, we knew water was precious. We were well aware that we could not live without it. That’s not the case anymore. The sixth lunar month is just a day away, and for sure I’m not the only fan of country music who thinks of Fon Duen Hok. But unlike the atmosphere depicted in the famous song, the weather is still hot as hell. The recent summer thunderstorms, which came very late this year, were a respite for many except those whose properties were damaged by the strong winds. But don’t let that fool you — rivers and dams in many parts of the country are still drying up. Worst of all, the rainy season has shown no sign of actually arriving.

Despite campaigns over the past months to inform the public about the severe drought situation and encourage them to conserve water, I doubt many actually pay attention. Perhaps they’re even outnumbered by the people who would find it amusing that I’ve been keeping a stock of drinking water that could last two weeks, just in case.

As long as the tap water is still running, today’s people, especially those living in towns and cities, will continue to take water for granted. Not only that — families now depend solely on public works for the supply, and no longer keep a private stock for needy times. Plus they tend to use the cheap and readily obtainable water wastefully. Besides, how many people care to take action when the forests, the natural source of freshwater, are under threat? In provinces where heavy deforestation is going on, local people seem to be ridiculously quiet.

Of course, it’s likely that this year city people, unaware of the suffering of their fellow countrymen in rural areas, will again survive the drought unscathed, because concerned agencies will go to any measure to keep the tap water running. Maybe not in the sixth lunar month, but sooner or later the rainy season, not to mention the predicted La Niña, will finally return. Once again, water will be abundant.

But the drought of public awareness about the value of water and the need to save it will continue.

As long as the tap water is still running, city people will continue to take water for granted

Pongpet Mekloy is the travel editor of the Bangkok Post.