Deputy Interior Minister Orders Mekong Region Flood and Drought Response

Deputy Interior Minister Jaruserath Thai-setsiri chaired a monitoring and preparedness meeting on August 14, 2569 at Nakhon Phanom Province Hall to address flooding and drought across seven Mekong River basin provinces in the Northeast: Nakhon Phanom, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Ubon Ratchathani. Provincial governors, agency heads, disaster prevention officials, and relevant departments from all seven provinces attended.

Jaruserath stated that the field visit and meeting followed the Prime Minister's directive to gather comprehensive data on local flood and drought situations and needs. He will report findings to the Prime Minister and work toward integrated agency coordination to deliver timely, targeted support. He emphasized that officials must identify not just which areas face problems, but where exactly, what resources exist locally, what constraints apply, and what assistance is needed—enabling data-driven coordination rather than reactive responses.

Management of current conditions requires handling both flooding and drought simultaneously due to rapid weather fluctuations. The approach must be to "know first, prepare first, respond immediately" rather than waiting for crises to develop. All water resources, equipment, personnel, and aid plans must be ready beforehand.

Public communication must be swift and accurate. Citizens need to know what is happening, which areas are affected, water levels, what to prepare, and what the state is doing. Information must be consistent and official, not leaving people to seek rumors or unverified sources. Water supply communications must cover water conditions, appropriate usage, management, and any system problems—delivered online and offline to reach all groups, not forcing citizens to search for updates.

Drought preparation should not wait until the dry season begins. Agencies must compile historical data on areas facing water shortages, problem onset timing, available water volumes, usage needs, and past solutions, then compare against current conditions to establish water management frameworks in advance.

Jaruserath instructed all units to survey and inspect all areas once water levels drop, rushing to restore normalcy and prevent lingering issues or non-functional zones. Each unit must report completed work, inspected points, finished tasks, and remaining repairs to track progress until completion.