How Thailand’s broken system is fueling the flood crisis?

After the terrible floods in the north, Thailand is grappling with equally terrible floods in the south due to a faulty system.

An article by Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, Doctor of Philosophy and Research Director and Nuthasid Rukkiatwong, Senior Researcher at the Thai Development Research Institute (TDRI).

In the space of a few months, floods devastated northern and southern Thailand, revealing a disturbing truth:

The country’s disaster response system is broken, and climate change is only making the situation worse.

Weak disaster management in Thailand, from insufficient warnings to inadequate rescues, turns emergencies into preventable tragedies.

As climate change worsens storms and flooding, the damage will continue to grow unless action is taken now to address this failing system.

The dangers are real.

Between 2000 and 2019, Thailand faced 146 natural disasters, which killed an average of 138 people per year and cost $7.7 billion, or nearly 1% of the country’s GDP.

Floods are the most destructive.

In twenty years, they have killed more than 2,000 people and caused damage worth a total of $59 billion.

The recent floods in the north of the country were the worst in 80 years, causing damage of around 60 billion baht and ranking among Thailand’s 10 costliest disasters.

A month later, the south of the country experienced its worst flooding in decades, displacing thousands of people as waters continued to rise.

These disasters continue to occur because Thailand lacks effective preventative measures to prevent weather emergencies from turning into full-blown crises.

As southern Thailand faces catastrophic flooding, questions arise:

Why does this keep happening?

Deep-rooted problems

Thailand’s flooding problems are caused by three main factors:

1. Centralized policies with poor coordination on the ground;
2. Outdated early warning systems;
3. Insufficient funding with misplaced priorities.

Water management in Thailand is divided among 48 agencies across 13 ministries, but their roles often overlap.

For example, the National Water Resources Committee and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Committee both deal with flooding, but they rarely work together.

In the absence of a clear leader, inefficiency reigns during crises.

Thailand’s warning system is also unreliable.

There is a lack of critical data on topography and land use, which are essential for flood prevention.

Nearly half of weather monitoring equipment does not operate regularly and 96% of them have not transmitted weather measurement results for at least one day.

Flood forecasts are only 33% accurate one day in advance, leaving communities vulnerable and unprepared.

In many areas, alerts do not reach residents because the SMS alert system is underdeveloped and almost half of communications equipment does not work.

State investment in risk reduction is misdirected.

Although early warning systems can return nine times the investment, most of the flood management budget for 2023 has been spent on building dams and drainage systems.

Very little funding has been allocated to improving warning systems or using data to prevent flooding.

Lessons from Japan

Japan offers valuable solutions to address these challenges.

Disaster management in this country relies on decentralized decision-making, interagency collaboration, integrated data systems and a focus on prevention.

Local authorities handle small emergencies, while the central government deals with national crises.

Both work within the same framework to ensure harmonious coordination.

In addition to using cutting-edge digital technologies, such as virtual city models, to assess and predict risks, Japan also has effective early warning systems, such as J-Alert, which can inform the public within a few seconds through multiple channels:

Speakers, television, radio, email and cell phones.

Comprehensive early warnings, especially when issued at least 24 hours in advance, can reduce disaster damage by 30%.

This is a clear example of how proactive measures save lives and minimize losses.

Public education on disaster preparedness is also a priority in Japan.

Regular exercises and school programs, including online classes and special classes for children, teach citizens how to respond in an emergency because preparedness saves lives.

Thailand has its own example of effective flood management in the town of Hat Yai.

Once a disaster hotspot, the city suffered devastating floods every ten years.

Today, it’s a success, thanks to a combination of science, teamwork and preparation.

A local success

Aerial view showing residential areas submerged by floods in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province, November 29, 2024. Photo: NBT Songkhla, Government Public Relations Department.

The Hat Yai Disaster Research Center, located at Prince of Songkla University, uses advanced models to assess risks and predict floods.

Meanwhile, its Disaster Response Task Force manages early warnings, risk management plans and coordination with state agencies and local communities.

Under the direct responsibility of the governor, the task force acts as an effective decision support system, which allows rapid and accurate response to flood risks.

This collaborative approach, supported by committed volunteers and strong leadership, has saved lives and reduced harm.

Hat Yai proves that preparation works.

Despite its success, the Hat Yai model has its limitations.

Without regular, long-term funding, the research center faces inadequate equipment and outdated data.

Frequent turnover of staff, due to limited career prospects, also threatens the continuity of the task force, as does the regular transfer of governors.

Scaling up this approach across the country will require more resources and long-term support from government.

Break the cycle

Residents on the roof of their houses to escape flooding in the commune of Wiang Phang Kham in Chiang Rai, in September 2024.

To break the cycle of catastrophic floods, Thailand must move from crisis response to crisis prevention.

This means improving coordination between state and local agencies and ending unregulated land use in high-risk areas, which makes the problem worse.

Modeled on Hat Yai, flood-prone regions should collaborate with local universities to establish disaster research centers.

These centers can collect data on land use and topography, analyze risks, and use advanced tools such as virtual city models to plan preventative strategies.

Learning from past mistakes will also improve preparedness for future disasters.

At the same time, disaster response centers should support risk management plans, organize regular exercises, invest in critical infrastructure, engage communities, implement effective warning systems and manage evacuation efforts , rescue and recovery.

At the national level, inter-agency coordination is lacking.

The water management and disaster prevention committees do not work full time and do not collaborate effectively, and there is no operational center to ensure the execution of their mandates.

The government must therefore create full-time professional teams to oversee river basin management and help universities set up disaster research centers.

International partnerships can also help improve warning systems and forecasts.

It is equally important to pass laws to give more power to governors.

Currently, governors do not have the authority to coordinate all state agencies in their provinces, making disaster prevention and response difficult.

Elevating governors to the rank of “super CEOs,” with greater authority and power, would provide more effective leadership.

The government must also address land use in flood-prone areas by regulating new developments, limiting existing developments, and removing structures with fair compensation.

Proper zoning and planning can significantly reduce vulnerabilities.

“We cannot eliminate disasters, but we can mitigate risks.

We can reduce the damage.

We can save more lives,” said Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

This is true for Thailand, which has seen the devastating impact of flooding:

Lives lost, homes destroyed and billions wasted.

Yet examples like Hat Yai and Japan show that preparation and coordination can save lives and reduce casualties.

Floods are inevitable, but their destruction doesn’t have to be.

Thailand must act decisively to end its cycle of inefficiency and prepare for the next storm.

The question is whether she will be ready.

This article is adapted from the authors’ presentation titled “Disaster Preparedness: Managing Natural Disaster Crises” at the TDRI 2024 Annual Public Conference, October 30, 2024.

Source : Bangkok Post