Through the political ecology, this paper investigates the historical and contemporary impact of flood hazards in Central Thailand. It examines how these factors influence flood perceptions and attitudes among individuals and communities living in the flood-prone area. Data were gathered from fieldwork as well as in-depth interviews with government officials and local residents in three localities – an urban area in Samut Sakorn Province, a peri-uran area in Ayutthaya Province and a rural area in Pichit Province. The cross-case analysis uncovers that, even in the midst of the rapidly-changing landscapes and the difference in flood-acceptance levels among inhabitants of dissimilar areas, most interviewees perceive recurring floods, and occasional big ones, as natural phenomena and believe them to be normative. Given the periodic nature of the floods, local residents have been adapting to flood hazards from experience and native knowledge. This paper shows that the 2011 Mega Flood was different, as it was unexpected and of colossal scale. While numerous residents see climate change as the chief factor for this crisis, many also believe that politics plays a major part. The study has found that residents are knowledgeable about the socio-political elements, which have increased flood vulnerability in their communities, but are powerless to react to most issues. Indeed, the implementation of growth-oriented development strategies, technocratic and centralized policies, ongoing political tribulations and the marginalization of some groups through unjust water infrastructure, since the past, have increased undesirable impacts of flood and lowered the coping and adaptive capacities of the local residents.

1. Living with Flood: The
Political Ecology of Flood
Hazards in Central Thailand
Nuttavikhom Phanthuwongpakdee (Kay)
King’s College London & National University of Singapore

2. Outline
 Background
 Research Question
 Theoretical Frameworks
 Data Collection
 Result Analysis + Discussion

3. Flood
2005 Flood in New
Orleans
2007 African Flood 2010 China Flood
2010 Pakistan Flood 2011 Thailand Flood 2013-2014 Flood in the UK and Ireland
To cause, to fill, or become covered with water, especially in a
way that causes problems. (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

4. Flood in Central Thailand

5. Flood in Central Thailand

6. Physical Features of Thailand

7. Flood in Central Thailand

8. Thailand 2011 Mega Flood

9. Thailand 2011 Mega Flood

10. Question
Despite Massive Investments In Prevention,
Why Does Flood Remain As A Problem in
Central Thailand?

11. Climate Change
Deforestation
Political Divide
Mismanagement
Not Enough Protections

13. Theoretical Framework
 Political Ecology
 The vulnerabilities of people to disaster is not
“natural”, but is rather the result of political,
economic, and social systems;
 Pressure and Release (PAR) Model.
 Social Nature
 Social Construction of Nature;
 By Noel Castree and Bruce Braun in 2001;
 Nature is social and we cannot separate the two.

14. The Pressure and Release (PAR) Model
By Blaikie et al. (1994)

15. Data Collection

16. Case 1

17. Case 2

18. Case 3

19. Flood was Thai Way Of Life

20. Flood was Thai Way Of Life

21. 1. Modernization
 Initially to Counter Colonization
 Change from Water-based Society to
Land-based one
 Technocratic Society
 Model after the European “Civilized”
Nation-State
 Growing Population
 Green Revolution
Root Causes

22. 2. Marginalization or Facilitation
 Neoliberal Economy
 Patronage System
 Centralization
 Thai Cultural System
3. Ideologies
Root Causes
 Limited Access to Power
 Too Much Access to Power

23.  Technocratic Policies
 Centralized Policies
 Rapid Laissez-faire urban growth and expansion of
industrial areas and other important amenities into
floodplain
 Disparagement of traditional beliefs and practices
 Government Corruption
 Inefficient Officials
Dynamic Pressures

24.  Physical
 Higher Flood Risk, Exposure and Vulnerability
 Unfair Structural Protections
 Economic
 Too dependent on activities in the floodplains
 Social
 Change in Lifestyle
 Indifference towards indigenous knowledge
 Cognitive & Political Biases
 Low Risk Perception
 Governance
 Lack of Public Participation
 Institutional Gaps
 Struggle for Power
Unsafe Condtions

25. After The 2011 Mega Flood

26. Further Research
 Urban Land planning
 Climate Change
 Institutional Gaps
 Local Adaptation
 Local Participation

27. ขอบคุณครับ! (khob-khun-kub!)