In order to save this precious water, the Thai government has constructed numerous dams throughout the country. When a dam is built on a river, the land upstream from the dam becomes flooded, because the water is no longer able to continue running downstream.
I traveled to a dam called Rajjaphrabha Dam (pronounced “rah-jah-prah-buh”) in the middle of Khao Sok National Park. It has several benefits.
First, the lake that the dam created acts as a reservoir. A reservoir is a large lake or pool that can supply water for later use. This water supply is used mainly during the dry season to water crops and farms around the country.
Second, the dam is a source of energy! Some incredibly smart engineers have figured out a way to create electricity using the water that is collected dams. Energy created in this way is called hydroelectric power. Due to the fact that it doesn’t require us to use coal or oil, resources we may run out of, we will be able to rely on hydroelectric power for a long time. Unfortunately, only about 1% of all of Thailand’s energy comes from hydroelectric power. The majority of the energy comes from sources that are not-renewable, such as coal or oil. The late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (pronounced “Poo-mi-pon Ah-doon-yah-det”) was very interested in hydroelectric power, which led to his funding, or paying for, several hydroelectric dam projects throughout the nation. Some are named after him and his family.
