Thailand Launches Flood, Drought Response Plan for North
Thailand's deputy prime minister launched a coordinated flood and drought response plan for 17 northern provinces, establishing a 24-hour monitoring center and fast-tracking emergency funding to bolster disaster prevention infrastructure.
On August 4, Deputy Prime Minister Yossakon Wongsuwan chaired a regional coordination meeting on flood and drought management for northern Thailand, bringing together representatives from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Agriculture, National Water Resources Office, Royal Irrigation Department, Meteorological Department, and the Water Resources Information Institute. Governors from 17 northern provinces including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Nan presented their preparedness plans for managing flash flood risks and groundwater contingencies.
Following the briefing, Yossakon issued directives to expedite solutions: removing budgetary bottlenecks by fast-tracking emergency funding allocations to provinces with critical disaster prevention projects; establishing a 24-hour Command and Control center to monitor water levels and immediately escalate warnings; integrating university partnerships to deploy shelter facilities and technology such as drones, telemetry systems, and alert applications; and accelerating major river-dredging projects on waterways including the Nan River, which has 18 vulnerable points.
Yossakon emphasized the approach draws on lessons from previous years and prioritizes close engagement with local administrative organizations to ensure communication and aid reach communities quickly and effectively.
