Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources(ONWR) on October 19 raised official concerns over the emerging drought crisisin the country's northeastern region.

Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima province Wichian Chantharanothai said theprovince's 32 districts have been declared as drought-hit areas, adding that thesituation is the most severe in this province.

As many as 112,000ha of farmland, mostly paddy, have already beendamaged due to a lack of rainfall.

So far, 14 crop-growing areas have been listed as needing immediate help.Local officials are considering aid in cash for rice farmers to compensate themfor their losses, said Wichian.

Many other parts of the country are also facing the prospect of acutewater shortages.

The northeast region has 21 of the country's 36 dams that are at lessthan 30 percent of their available capacity. Ubonrat, one of the major dams inthe region, is only 11 percent full.

Dams in the northeast have only about a month left to collect water fromthe seasonal rainfall until the rainy season resumes in May 2019.

The Thai Meteorological Department has also warned that the developmentof an El Nino (warmer temperatures) in the Pacific Ocean in the beginning of2019 will contribute to an even drier than normal climate in Southeast Asia andWestern Pacific. –VNA