DroughtNorthThailand

01 APRIL 2016 - WANG NUEA, LAMPANG, THAILAND: A man panning for gold shovels rocks and gravel into his pan in the Mae Wang. Villagers in the Wang Nuea district of Lampang province found gold in the Mae Wang (Wang River) in 2011 after excavation crews dug out sand for a construction project. A subsequent Thai government survey of the river showed "a fair amount of gold ore," but not enough gold to justify commercial mining. Now every year when the river level drops farmers from the district come to the river to pan for gold. Some have been able to add to their family income by 2,000 to 3,000 Baht (about $65 to $100 US) every month. The gold miners work the river bed starting in mid-February and finish up by mid-May depending on the weather. They stop panning when the river level rises from the rains. This year the Thai government is predicting a serious drought which may allow miners to work longer into the summer. The 2016 drought has lowered the water level so much that the river is dry in most places and people can only pan for gold in a very short stretch of the river. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ

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Filename: LampangDrought037.jpg
Copyright: © 2016 Jack Kurtz
Image Size: 4608x3456 / 10.7MB; 033116 Climate Change Drought Drought2016 Dry El Nino El Niño Global Warming Gold Mining Panning Thailand Weather ZUMA
Contained in galleries: Thailand (All)

01 APRIL 2016 - WANG NUEA, LAMPANG, THAILAND: A man panning for gold shovels rocks and gravel into his pan in the Mae Wang. Villagers in the Wang Nuea district of Lampang province found gold in the Mae Wang (Wang River) in 2011 after excavation crews dug out sand for a construction project. A subsequent Thai government survey of the river showed "a fair amount of gold ore," but not enough gold to justify commercial mining. Now every year when the river level drops farmers from the district come to the river to pan for gold. Some have been able to add to their family income by 2,000 to 3,000 Baht (about $65 to $100 US) every month. The gold miners work the river bed starting in mid-February and finish up by mid-May depending on the weather. They stop panning when the river level rises from the rains. This year the Thai government is predicting a serious drought which may allow miners to work longer into the summer. The 2016 drought has lowered the water level so much that the river is dry in most places and people can only pan for gold in a very short stretch of the river. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ