Strategy to eliminate smog and wildfire problems by Military Region 3

April 24, 2012 - PRLog -- Wildfire and smog that happen in Thailand, especially in the north area of the country caused by main reasons of farm burned that the farmer prepared the farm for cultivation, but many times the fire in the farm spread and enrage into wildfire. More over, villagers sometimes burn the forest for hunting wild animals, and to collection goods from the forest.

These problems affect damages into 11,465 acre in year 2008, 10,640 acre in year 2009, 12,799 acre in year 2010, and 2,928 acre in year 2011

Beside the area of the forest that has been damaging, it creates smog covering provinces in the north part of Thailand. In the past 10 years, the problems affect people’s health and traveling industry. Because Chiangmai, Chiangrai,Lamphun, Maehongson,Phayao, Nan, and Tak where located in the north part of Thailand have a basin shape landscape which surrounded by mountains, the atmosphere in these province are dry, and have little air movement including with the weather on March of every year will be high atmosphere pressure, the wind is calm. When the forest is burning there will be smog cover in the areas extensively and continually many days.

The smog problem in the north part of Thailand usually occurs during January to March of every year, especially in the provinces above since year 2549. And the smog problem continue to grow more severely  because Thailand’s neighbour countries also have wildfire problems in the close areas of those provinces. Another problem is the rise pollution caused by automobile, and transportation during the traveling season. All of these problems create state of storage of smog and hot air.

By starting a campaign to solve wildfire and smog problems in year 2555 in the area of Chiangmai province to publicize, prepare, and practice of the army to extinguish out the wildfire that might occurs during the time of every year. Therefore the Royal Thai Army started the practice, and rehearsal of the wildfire extinguishing plans to simulate the situation, and to be ready in the real situation.

Military Region 3, together with government, and private companies started a campaign to solve the wildfire and smog problems called “Prevent Wildfire by His Majesty the King” according to guidance of Queen Sirikit. To support the campaign, Military Region 3 run an exhibition for organization, villagers, and students to join. Within this exhibition, under the name “situation / problems / caues and solution to cope with wildfire, and smog”. The exhibition took place in Chiangmai province. In this exhibition, there are demonstration of equipments and how to use them to extinguish the fire. The participants of this exhibition was 2,000 people.

More over, in this exhibition there was a show to demonstrate the causes of the wildfire to explain to the villagers that the act of burning the forest to find the wild goods is a bad idea and can start the wildfire unintended.

The show include 140 soldiers, villagers, and helicopter. It was a very successful that demonstrate the causes of the wildfire, and also show the united heart of all people to help solving the problem of the wildfire and smog.

However, the trends of wildfire, and smog during January to March in every year will remain if people in the area are not stopping their behavior. They need to stop burning the forest, especially burn the forest to create an agriculture area, disposal of junk, and to find wild goods. If these behaviors remain, the the wildfire and smog problems will remain too.

Today, the situation of wildfire, and smog in nine provinces in the north part of Thailand has the value of PM10 (the dust which has diameter smaller than 10 micron), and AQI (Air Quality Index) higher than the standard which affect directly to people’s health who living in the area. Therefore the Military Region 3 is on the watch, and prepared the operation unit to go into the scene once the there’s a wildfire promptly.