Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and ... - GFDRR

National Government Institutions
A plethora of government agencies are involved in water resource management and
use in Thailand. As well, under the Prime Ministers’ Office, there are six national
boards and committees, which are responsible for policy planning and coordination
of water resources at national level. The three dominant ministries and authorities
in terms of water management and flood control are Agriculture and Cooperatives
(MOAC), Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), and the Electricity Generating
Authority of Thailand (EGAT).
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE)
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) is responsible for management
of natural resources (including surface water, groundwater, forestry, protected
area, mineral resources, and coastal resources) and the environment, including
pollution control and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) review. With such a
wide range of responsibilities, effective cooperation among key agencies within
MNRE will be critical for forging effective IWRM implementation. MNRE, however, is a
relatively new ministry, with more than 50,000 personnel moving there from different
ministries and departments in late 2002.
MNRE has general responsibility for water quality and environmental protection, but
is also involved in the investment, planning, design and construction of wastewater
treatment plants. It entrusts this latter role in Bangkok and the five surrounding
provinces to the Wastewater Management Authority, a state enterprise, which also
oversees project implementation by the private sector. Elsewhere in the country, the
Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning within the Ministry of
the Interior oversees wastewater treatment projects.
With regard to water quality and environmental protection, the key roles in setting
stream water quality and effluent standards are held by the Office of Natural Resources
and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) and the Pollution Control Department
(PCD) of MNRE. These agencies have regional offices throughout Thailand, of which
several exist for the Chao Phraya Basin. While the RID regions have been set
independently of provincial boundaries, those for other agencies such as MNRE
follow provincial boundaries. The setting of stream water quality and effluent
standards is an extremely complex task in a country such as Thailand where
development pressures are causing severe resource degradation problems.
Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the lead agency under MNRE responsible
for integrated water resources planning including fostering IWRM implementation.
Established in 2002, DWR is a new agency, with most staff coming from the rural
development department of the Ministry of Interior. DWR’s mandates include setting
policies, formulating plans and measures related to water resources protection,
management, development, conservation, rehabilitation, regulation, monitoring and
evaluation at the national and basin level. It is also responsible for setting standards
for water resources and transferring technology related to water resources. DWR is
the main agency responsible for fostering IWRM implementation. Progresses made
by DWR on IWRM include establishment of RBCs for the 25 basins in 2004, including
setting up guidelines and operating procedures, disseminating knowledge and
understanding on IWRM and RBC operations, conducting pilot studies in several
sub-basins and developing a strategic map on participatory river basin management
(2009).
THAI FLOOD 2011 RAPID ASSESSMENT FOR RESILIENT RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING
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