Story by: Phongnarin Sukcham and Rawiwan Boonchai Photos by: Tanaphon Ounharerk/ GIZ Thailand
Bangkok, 18 July 2024 – The training, titled “Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Analysis Process for Integrated Water Resource Management under Climate Change Conditions,” is part of the Enhancing Climate Resilience in Thailand through Effective Water Management and Sustainable Agriculture (E-WMSA) project. This initiative is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Royal Irrigation Department in collaboration with the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), with academic support from Chulalongkorn University. It was held on Thursday, 18 July 2024, at the Academic Office, Royal Irrigation Department, Bangkok.
Recognising the impact of climate change on water resources, the Royal Irrigation Department organised this training to impart knowledge and understanding of the CRVA process. The aim was to develop skills in water basin planning considering the climate dimension and expand these skills to other river basins. The training provided hands-on practice in CRVA analysis for water resource management. Dr. Kanokwan Saswattecha, the project manager, delivered a welcome speech and introduced the project, while Ms. Phattaporn Mekpruksawong, a civil engineering expert from the Royal Irrigation Department, gave the opening address.
Asst Prof Dr Phongsak Sutthinon from the Department of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, presented the origin and importance of risk assessment and vulnerability analysis in the context of climate change. He explained that past water resource management structures were designed using data from the previous 30 years without considering future climate change data. Consequently, these structures, such as dams and floodgates, may not be sufficient to cope with increasing climate change intensity. It is thus necessary to supplement these hard structures with ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).
Dr Phongsak emphasised that CRVA analysis is a starting point to help identify areas at risk of climate change impacts, allowing irrigation engineers to plan water resource management more precisely. He introduced the four main dimensions of CRVA: climate change, hazards, risk exposure, and vulnerability. He also demonstrated how Looker Studio, a free tool from Google, enables engineers to analyse CRVA and present the results as risk maps, indicating risk levels on a scale of 0-1. These maps help identify areas needing additional resources or urgent solutions and appropriate EbA measures.
Following the lecture, participants were divided into four groups to practice using Looker Studio to design CRVA maps tailored to their target groups. Mentors from the Royal Irrigation Department, who had received prior technical and practical training in June 2024, provided guidance to each group.
After the group presentations, Asst. Prof. Dr. Phongsak and Mr Pronmongkol Chidchob, Irrigation Engineering Expert level for Water Resource Development and Water Management in the basin area of Regional Irrigation Office 2, offered feedback and suggestions to the participants. They stressed the importance of selecting and presenting data in a format consistent with the theory, objectives, and target groups. An effective display format helps identify problem conditions and prioritise issues in the target area, facilitating efficient overall water resource management. It can also reduce conflicts over project site selection among stakeholders, as it uses scientific, economic, social, and environmental data to create clear, easy-to-understand maps.
Finally, participants shared their views on the training, noting that they gained valuable knowledge and saw the benefits of applying the CRVA analysis tool in their future work, especially in prioritising and defining target areas for urgent water allocation, thereby ensuring the efficient use of limited resources.
Ms. Woranan Norach, a civil engineer from the Engineering Research and Development Division, Research and Development Office, Royal Irrigation Department
Mr Pongpich Yodying, a civil engineer at the Royal Irrigation Department
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