Story and Photos: Royal Irrigation Department
Dr Thaweesak Thanadachopol, Deputy Director-General for Operation and Maintenance of Royal Irrigation Department (RID), recently chaired the Inception Workshop of the Enhancing Climate Resilience in Thailand through Effective Water Management and Sustainable Agriculture Project. representatives from RID, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, community leaders and farmers from Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, and Sukhothai participated in the one-day workshop.
“Climate change has affected rainfall, leading to increasingly severe and frequent floods and droughts facing agricultural activities and water management in the Yom-Nan river basins. Due to this reason, RID in collaboration with UNDP and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) work together to implement the “Enhancing Climate Resilience in Thailand through Effective Water Management and Sustainable Agriculture” project (E-WMSA),” he said.
Supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the aim of this initiative is to improve climate information and cross sectoral coordination, improve water management through strengthened infrastructure complementing Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), and reduce volatility of agriculture livelihoods in drought and flood-prone areas through strengthened extension support and local planning.
The E-WMSA project will be piloted in seven districts in three lower-northern provinces of Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, and Uttaradit, covering over 125,000 rai land plots in the Yom-Nan river basins (approximately 49,421 acres) during 2023-2026
To further develop water management practices, the E-WMSA project will be implemented through the following three interconnected activities:
- OUTPUT 1: Data Management System for Rainfall, Runoff, and Crop Planning
- OUTPUT 2: Improvement of Infrastructure Structure by Integrating Construction Measures and Environmental Measures
- OUTPUT 3: Enhancing Adaptability to Climate Change in Agriculture, Promoting Market Opportunities, and Expanding Online Marketplace Platforms to Strengthen Farmers’ Competitiveness by Leveraging Technology and Innovation, as well as Sustaining Balanced and Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources and the Environment.
GIZ is involved in implementing one of the three main activities, which is the management of data systems for rainfall, runoff, and crop planning. The outcomes will be linked to the other two activities aimed at improving infrastructure by integrating construction measures and environmental measures to enhance climate change adaptation, promote market opportunities, expand online marketplace platforms, strengthen farmers’ competitiveness and capacity to leverage technology and innovation for sustainable management of agricultural resources and environment. ■