Story by: Sorat Sitthidumron; Photo by: Tanapon Ounharerk/E-WMSA Project
Thailand is preparing to advance ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as an approach to water management in response to recurrent floods and droughts. Three strategic pilot sites have been identified in the Yom-Nan river basin: Bueng Jon, Bueng Kluay and Klong Mem in Phitsanulok province. Communities living near all three bodies of water have been continuously affected by recurrent floods and droughts.
This approach has emerged from a co-design process led by the Royal Irrigation Department, working with community and local representatives, water-user groups, private-sector organisations and network partners. Through a series of consultation forums, stakeholders jointly reviewed the detailed designs of the EbA measures. This process has been conducted continuously since 2023 under the Enhancing Climate Resilience in Thailand through Effective Water Management and Sustainable Agriculture (E-WMSA) Project, implemented by GIZ Thailand, and funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Pronongkol Chidchob, Director of the Water Management Development and Participation Division, Royal Irrigation Department, said that the Government had approved the principles and approach for applying EbA measures to water management in the Yom-Nan river basin: “The most important aspect of these measures is the participation of local communities and water-user groups. They have had opportunities to exchange views and share local knowledge so that the measures can be designed to respond genuinely to their basic needs, whether for agricultural water supplies, small-scale fisheries or food sources. This approach is consistent with the Royal Irrigation Department’s mandate to strengthen participation in water-resource development and management, ensuring that interventions reflect local contexts and support community livelihoods.”
For the EbA designs at Bueng Jon and Bueng Kluay, the key objectives agreed by all parties are to increase water-storage capacity and apply phytoremediation to address water-quality problems. Bueng Jon is currently affected by poor water quality associated with the extensive presence of water hyacinth, preventing the community from making use of the body of water. The phytoremediation system will begin by directing water into a sedimentation pond to trap heavier sediment before it flows onwards into two large, constructed, macrophyte wetlands, covering a combined area of more than 15,000 square metres.
The roots and stems of aquatic plants will function like natural sponges, trapping fine sediment and absorbing residual agricultural chemicals, reducing excess nutrients in the water and suppressing the growth of the water hyacinth, preventing it from obstructing waterflow and adversely affecting water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
The study estimates that the EbA design will reduce suspended sediment by up to 233.58 tonnes and remove 1,016 kilogrammes of nitrogen and 135 kilogrammes of phosphorus from the pilot bodies of water.
In addition, the EbA measures have been designed to conserve wetland ecosystems, particularly breeding habitats for freshwater fish and aquatic plants that communities can use as food sources. Deeper refuge pools will be excavated within both wetlands to provide shelter for aquatic species (such as silver barb and striped snakehead) during the dry season. This will help protect community food sources and livelihoods from increasingly severe climate variability.
Weerapong Deemit, also known as ‘Village Headman Jeab’, or ‘Phoo Yai Jeab’, the head of Moo 7, Ban Wang Nam Bo, Wang Won subdistrict, Phrom Phiram district, Phitsanulok province, and a community leader whose community depends on Bueng Jon, said: “The EbA approaches at Bueng Jon and Bueng Kluay are not simply short-term solutions. They connect the measures with local ways of life and community adaptation, creating a sound foundation for the long-term restoration of freshwater ecosystems in the area. They will benefit more than 250 households and support food and water security across up to 544 hectares of agricultural land. Healthy waterways and fish populations and local aquatic species will provide the community with important food sources and help to reduce household expenditure. The community is also considering developing the pilot sites as ecotourism destinations, which could generate long-term income for the local community.”
At Klong Mem, the project study identified severe riverbank erosion resulting from the operation of water-control gates to manage flooding. Rapid changes in water level have damaged riparian vegetation, exposed topsoil and increased sediment loads. The EbA design therefore focuses on regrading the riverbank slopes and reinforcing the submerged toe of the banks with rock placement and aquatic planting. Plant roots will act as a protective layer that binds the soil, while a 6.88 hectares buffer zone will help safeguard critical infrastructure, homes and farmers’ fish ponds from subsidence and erosion over the long term.
Pongpich Yodying, Head of Irrigation System Design Section 3, Engineering and Architectural Design Office, Royal Irrigation Department, said that the Department was accelerating the procurement process and planned to begin construction in early 2027. He expressed confidence that, once completed, the approach would enhance conventional infrastructure improvement projects for the benefit of farmers and communities in the Yom-Nan river basin.
Julian Tost, Project Director at GIZ, said that the pilots demonstrate a paradigm shift in building climate resilience. Water management through EbA measures can connect government technical planning with improvements to conventional grey infrastructure, while ensuring that interventions align with local ways of life, can be implemented in practice and strengthen communities’ long-term capacity to cope with climate change. ■
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