The loss of natural water retention areas, through a lack of proper urban planning, is being blamed for the unusually serious flooding in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani this year.

In Nong Kin Phen sub-district, one of the 16 sub-districts in Warin Chamrap district, all four villages have been under 2 to 4 meters of water for a month.

Shaped like a pan, Nong Kin Phen floods almost every year during the rainy season, but villagers say that this year is the worst in 44 years.

One villager said that Ubon Ratchathani has undergone rapid development over the past decade, with many housing estates, shopping malls and buildings popping up, all of which required the raising of the ground’s level, to lift building foundations, above its surroundings.

When it rains, water flows onto the lower-lying land, such as in Warin Chamrap district.

Another villager said that more extreme weather will worsen flood situation in the future.

The water level in the Mun River, which flows through Ubon Ratchathani province, is falling slightly and steadily and it is anticipated that it will drop to below its banks in mid-November.

Villagers in Nong Kin Phen sub-district said that, apart from human hardships, there are about 500,000 cattle and poultry,which are now starving, and animal feed provided by the Livestock Development Department is not sufficient to meet the demand.