Many regions of Thailand are struggling with what some have called the worst drought in decades, with nearly 30 of Thailand’s 77 provinces declared drought affected according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).
Climate experts have pointed to an El Niño weather pattern along with the effects of climate change as the cause for drier and unusually hot weather across much of the country, with canals, reservoirs and dams all at record low levels.
For the nation’s farmers, meanwhile, the high temperatures combined with last year’s short-lived wet season have forced some to plant more drought-resistant crops, yet in some places even these are failing.
With the wet season set to begin, many affected communities are hoping that significant rainfall will help to ease the situation, but there remains a collective anxiety that a brief wet season this year will not provide adequate rainfall to bring relief to farmers and communities most affected.