The FINANCIAL — The Government of Thailand is set to receive a $1 million technical assistance to help improve the country’s overall water resource management efficiency, starting from river basin level, as well as strengthen capacity development for river basin integrated planning in the country.
The grant, provided by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) and administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will be implemented over a period of one and a half years, starting in November 2016. The project is aligned with the recently approved National Water Resource Management Strategic Plan of the Thai government, with the Department of Water Resource under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment acting as the executing agency.
The project will develop a base integrated water resource management (IWRM) simulation tool at the river basin level. The IWRM modeling tool is a computer-based hydrological model that enables users to test the hydrological impact of different water resources management approaches in a river basin, according to ADB.
“Under the ADB policy on water sector, the bank recognizes that IWRM based on river basin is essential in having a participatory and inclusive management model,” Luxmon Attapich, Senior Country Economist at ADB’s Thailand Resident Mission, said. “Through the base IWRM model, demonstration of the possible impacts of different water management scenarios can help the stakeholders reach agreement on how to manage river basins and sub-basins to minimize the risk of future floods and improve the livelihoods communities.”
