Urban Drainage Thailand
Urban Drainage Thailand
Urban Drainage Thailand
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Urban drainage is a vital city infrastructure to cope with floods by conveying water away
from urban areas. To minimize the flood impacts, the main principle is to carry water away from
the urbanized areas as quickly and completely as possible. The built systems are often
susceptible which are likely to endure greater exposure to extreme events in the future, resulting
in increased demand for maintenance and upgrades. Water and sewage networks need to
accommodate more intense precipitation (Mehdi et.al. 2006). Berggren et al, (2007), the study
conducted in the climate change impact on urban drainage have discussed possible impacts on
urban drainage which are increased Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) causing environmental
problems and polluting drinking water sources, infiltration of the ground water into sewer
system, increased pollutants level in the WWTP affecting their normal treatment process,
flooding the pumping stations, increment in sediment volume in the storm water detention pond
in the separate system, decreased infiltration capacity in the infiltration basin.
The urban drainage infrastructures designed in most of the places have considered
stationary climate condition, as the consequences most of them are running over capacity before
their design period (Mailhot and Duchesne, 2010). Storm water management is not only directly
related to climate change. Apart from climate change, there is however other factors such as
increase in population, new developments. Urban storm water infrastructures in most of the cities
are under direct exposure of extreme events. Sukhumvit, in the Central Bangkok is one of the
representative urbanized cities where ground surface is mostly impermeable that generates
higher percentage of surface runoff and densely established buildings and structures makes flood
flow routing even complicated. It also represents the condition of urban cities where terrain is
flat and gravity discharge of storm water is difficult. Past studies done in Sukhumvit have shown
that, drainage capacity of the existing system is not adequate. The author stated “virtual
reservoir”, which is an advanced modelling technique to keep and exchange surcharged water
between pipe network and surface storage
1.2. Study Area
Sukhumvit sub-catchment, one of the parts of Central Business District of eastern sub-
urban area in Bangkok, has an area of 24 km2 and is bound Klongs and Chao Phraya River as
shown in Fig.1. At present, there are 10 polders exist in the primary drainage of Bangkok.
Sukhumvit sub-catchment is the one of them. Each polder area will have its own drainage
system, so-called secondary drainage system.
This study area has a characteristic of flat plain. Although, this area can prevent floods
caused by overflow from Chao Phraya River in 1995 and 1996, removal of stormwater is
impossibly drained by gravity into existing canals. Some areas in Sukhumvit sub-catchment are
frequently inundated.
In addition, insufficient draining facilities and street inlets are not the only disputes that
caused several plashes on the street when heavy rain occurred. Garbage and careless waste
disposal on urban drainage channel are the biggest concerns that need considerable and
sustainable action to prevent further draining failure. In Figure 2, It can be seen that garbage
clogged the channel and inhibit the water flow movement. It may affects to more sluggish water
velocity and blocks the water path into final disposal (ocean). When rainy season comes, surface
run-off water that come from high intensity rain may stumbled upon those blockages and
bloating up exceeds the channel freeboard space. The water then flew out from drainage channel
and floods the street. Bangkok has main drainage system with width approximately 70 m and
secondary drainage with 4-5 m in width. Despite the fact that drainage system has broad funnel
in dimensions, it does not guarantee and avoid Bangkok from flood if garbage keeps being
disposed in drainage channel. As shown in Figure 3, huge amount of rubbish that clogs the
channel, come out from drainage channel. It indicates that the wide drainage channel cannot
work properly in draining storm water if it is filled by rubbish because rubbish can stops the
water flow into the water disposal.
Figure 2 Rubbishs and Garbages floating in Bangkok Canals
Flooding has long been recognized as the most damaging and costly natural hazard in
many countries. Due to better accessibility and settlement feasibility, floodplains have been
increasingly encroached by urbanization in the last few centuries. However, this aggravates the
problem – increasing risk and damage of flooding, which is severer in the less developed
countries. Generally, these countries have more population and land-demanding pressure, but
less mitigation capability towards the flooding hazards than the more developed countries. Most
modern cities in the more developed countries experience small scale and local floods due to
insufficient capacity of the sewer systems to transport excessive rainfall or the unexpected
breakdown of water-supply pipes (Mark et al., 2004. Especially Thailand has a big problem with
flooding in 2011
Caused of Flooding in Bangkok :
Heavy rainfall intensity (local flood)
Overflow from river bank due to high discharge from the northern part
Effect of high tides from the sea
Land subsidence
Low efficiency of drainage system
As we all know, climate change is causing excessive rainfall in many parts of the world,
which is a natural phenomenon beyond our control. However, we have to defend this severe
natural disaster by improving flood drain system. Three major systems should be used to
improve flood drain or flood way. These 3 systems of the table should be integrated to optimize
the investment cost. Type 1 should be used in upstream area or suburban area of provinces in
northern Bangkok. Type 2 can be used in both suburban and urban area. Large Flood drain
tunnels are considered practical, most effective and hence the best solution to prevent major
flooding in the long term.
Upper Deck – will be used as road tunnel in normal condition, no flood or minor
flood as shown in Fig. 3 and during moderate flood Fig. 4
Lower Deck – will be used as flood drain in normal condition, no flood or minor
flood as shown in Fig. 3 and during moderate flood Fig. 4
Figure 3 Normal or Minor Flood Situation (upper deck using as motorway, lower deck draining out
Figure 4 Moderate Flood Situation (upper deck using as motorway, lower deck draining out
water)
Upper Deck – will be stopped using as road tunnel or underground motorway and will be used as
flood drain or flood way once major flood comes
Total length of this underground system is approx.100 km depending on the final
selection based on further feasibility studies.
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION
1. Existing drainage system consists of 2 major parts. One is area in both side of Sukhumvit
Streetand area in the South of the street will drain rainwater to klong Toei finally to the
river at klong Toei pumping station. Another one is area in the North of Sukhumvit
Street will drain to klong Sean Seap, klong Tan, and klong Phra Khanong. The
characteristic of secondary drainage system is to prevent floodwater from outside by level
up its boundary and try to pump rainwater out of the area to main drainage canals. The
pumping is mainly operated to drain rainwater.
2. Draining failures and problems in Bangkok triggered by several element, such as :
Heavy rain intensity
Drainage function alteration due to Land development
Land subsidence
Low efficiency of drainage system
Lack of street inlet and draining facilities
3. Several attempts to fix drainage system are carried out by the government is divided into
two parts, namely the construction of structural and non-structural. Structural
development includes building giant tunnels, repairing existing drainage systems, raising
embankments, and developing Multi-Service Flood Draining System (MUSTS). While
non-structural development is more focused on increasing awareness of the community
about the importance of keeping drainage channel clean from rubbish.
Reference
1. LebelL,ManutaJB,GardenP.Institutionaltrapsandvulnerabilityto changes
inclimateandfloodregimesinThailand.RegEnviron Change. 11(1) p. 45–58.
2. Nunes Correia, F., Castro Rego, F., Da Graca Saraiva, M. & Ramos, I. (1998) Coupling
GIS with Hydrologic and Hydraulic Flood Modelling. Water Resources Management,
Vol: 12 (3), pp.229-249
3. The World Bank. (2012).Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk
Management for the 21st Century [Press release]. Retrieved July 15, 2017