Bangkok battles coastal erosion with new wave barrier initiative
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is collaborating with various organisations to combat the persistent erosion of Bangkok’s coastline in the Bang Khun Thian district.
Jessada Chandraprabha, the director of the BMA’s Drainage and Sewerage Department, recently updated on the ongoing initiatives to tackle this issue affecting the capital’s shoreline.
He explained that the department is working closely with related agencies to propose and execute projects aimed at preventing and mitigating coastal erosion and rising sea levels caused by climate change in the upper Gulf of Thailand. This situation impacts areas including Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Samut Sakhon.
A meeting on January 29 included representatives from several agencies, such as the Department of Climate Change and Environment. They discussed priority projects that require a sustained commitment to address the erosion problem effectively.
A major initiative funded by the BMA last year involves the construction of a 4.7-kilometre stone wave barrier to halt the retreating coastline. Currently, in the procurement phase, this barrier will trap sediment and enrich soil nutrients, facilitating the growth of mangrove forests.
Additionally, the Drainage and Sewerage Department is working with agencies like the Bang Khun Thian district office and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to collect data and develop strategies to combat coastal erosion. They also continuously monitor sea level changes.
Since 2016, the Bang Khun Thian District Office has actively participated in coastal erosion mitigation. Supported by public and private agencies and locals, the office has built a bamboo wave buffer extending 2.2 kilometres along the coast and has planted over 107,000 mangrove saplings, expanding the mangrove forest by 233 rai, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, a business operator in Koh Chang has sought intervention from the Interior Ministry’s Damrongdharma Centre to expedite the demolition of two massive, illegally built concrete jetties, which he claims are accelerating coastal erosion.
Kitti Yimrewat, who has long opposed the structures, argues that their sheer size makes them as obstructive as buildings, severely impacting the surrounding coastline. His calls for removal have faced repeated delays, with the resort responsible for the jetties receiving an additional 150 days after failing to meet the initial 180-day demolition deadline.
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