(04/04/2012)
 Forest
fires have become a matter of concern in Thailand and the region. The
Office of the National Research Council of Thailand is supporting a
research project to apply the “wet firebreak” method, initiated by His
Majesty the King, to the fight against forest fires.The forest fires that hit several provinces in northern Thailand have led to the haze problem, causing health hazards for local residents. The authorities are seeking ways to bring the problem under control in the long run. The Secretary-General of the Office of the National Research Council of Thailand, Professor Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap, said that the Office had entrusted a team from Kasetsart University to conduct research on forest fire prevention by creating wet firebreaks, a natural bastion against forest fires, suggested by His Majesty the King. Forest fires in Thailand are caused primarily by human activities. It was found that collecting forest products was the leading cause of forest fires, followed by hunting and clearing of land for cultivation and raising livestock. Official reports indicated that the situation of forest fires has been getting worse because of the extreme weather and global warming effects, which have caused severe and widespread drought. As a consequence, forests are drier and the chance of fire is greater. With his insight into problems with nature, His Majesty the King has devised a method based on the “Nature cures nature” concept, by applying the way of nature – the wet firebreak – to prevent forest fires. He explained that people could pipe water to keep deteriorated, dry forest land moist at all times. This would conserve forests indirectly, as an effective bastion against forest fires, owing to its feature as a wet firebreak. The main principle in His Majesty’s method of creating a wet firebreak is to form a belt of moisture as a shield against fire, by injecting water to keep the designated area wet and thus hold off fire. At the same time, the wet firebreak also keeps the entire area cool with oxygen from the humidity in the air and the water-filled land, reducing haze and smog from forest fires, as well. His Majesty devised several methods for creating wet firebreaks. For instance, a forest fire control system with irrigation water and rainwater should be created. Fast-growing trees should be planted over canals and water channels in order to increase moisture on both sides of the canal as an effective firebreak. His Majesty suggested that small check dams, or weirs, be built out of local materials to hold back water and some of the silt material, while allowing water to seep into the ground. The wet firebreaks established by His Majesty’s initiative are a method of forest conservation and rehabilitation based on the use of moisture to keep the forest green and to reduce the chance of forest fires. It is also a strategy of forest conservation with the help of water resources to create a fire prevention front against forest fires on a long-term basis. |
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