Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and ... - GFDRR

navigation, etc.) throughout the basin, based on water budget planning deliberations. The
main responsibility of EGAT in this cycle is to assess resources to plan allocations.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) has more than twenty departments
or offices, of which the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is the most important and
critical in terms of water management and provision. RID is the main agency involved in
water project investment planning, design and construction in Thailand – thus making it a
key player as water resources manager. It also plays a principal role in flood mitigation issues
as its canals and water regulation devices are utilized for flood protection and drainage
during the wet season. RID is also responsible for maintenance of some river dikes. RID,
jointly with EGAT, plays a key role of allocating access to water resources, by determining
total water demand requirements of all users and comparing this to overall seasonal water
availability.
The role MOAC plays as manager will only be complete when water legislation that clearly
defines a water rights and allocation system for individual and cross-sectoral needs is in
place. It should be noted that there is the potential for conflict of interest and poor accountability
if irrigation provision and water resources management functions were to be held
within a single organization.
In line with international best practice that is used to streamline WRM work, and improve
coordination and oversight within specific river basins, River Basin Organizations (RBO)
have been established. The key challenge to this system is not the will to coordinate and
plan in an integrated way, but the lack of a mechanism to connect these RBOs with the
budgeting process. Lack of political support, administrative mechanisms and funds have
limited the capacity of the RBOs to effectively manage resources in a comprehensive
manner.
Linking other sectors with the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan will be of
ultimate importance for maintaining the integrity of the IWRM system and ensuring its
holistic approach. Plans for urbanization, infrastructure development, transportation and
roads, industrial expansion, etc. will all impact the water resources plans and flood
management strategies. For example, prior to such vast urbanization in Thailand, there
was a greater lag-time between intense rainfall and peak stream flow. Since, the lag-time
has reduced, peak flow is greatly increased, and the total run-off has been compressed
into a shorter time interval, thus creating the conditions for intense flooding. Ensuring
an integrated approach to water resources and flood management will help manage these
effects.
Technical Gaps
This section explores some of the key technological challenges and gaps that exist related
to flood management, and sets the ground for recommendations in the following section.
For infrastructure, the combination of ageing and deferred essential maintenance is the
primary reason for structural failure and breaches of the flood protection embankments
along the Chao Phraya River. Immediate attention to this critical infrastructure is now
required, as well as the adoption of more comprehensive inspection protocols for critically
important dikes, drainage canals and pumping stations (similar to the inspection protocol
for dams) than is now in place. Finally, the impact of climate change, expected to cause
more frequent extreme flood events in the future, needs to be taken into account while
reviewing structural designs, and maintenance requirements and procedures.
80 THAI FLOOD 2011 RAPID ASSESSMENT FOR RESILIENT RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING