Water Resource Management in Thailand

Effective water resource management in Thailand has a significant impact on both the country’s economic development and the livelihoods of its population, especially in rural areas. The annual rainfall patterns in Thailand are highly variable and, in general, are divided into a rainy season and a dry season. During the rainy season, the key objectives are to prevent flooding and to store excess water to the maximum extent in preparation for the dry season. Conversely, during the dry season, the key decision is to allocate the available water supply to meet the needs of agricultural, industrial, and municipal/residential users, to prevent drought conditions from occurring.

In this research, we are working with collaborators in Thailand to understand and model both weather patterns and water management systems. This will enable water system decision makers to predict seasonal rainfall and weather events, prevent flooding, and optimize water storage and allocation.

Project Aims

• Impact assessment of deforestation and reforestation on the water system
• Optimization of dam operations for flood prevention and drought mitigation
• Develop scalable community-based reservoir management systems to support rural livelihoods and mitigate water risks
• Development of long-range rainfall prediction tools to guide downstream decisions on water allocation
• Analysis of matching mechanisms to align water demand with supply and promote efficient and equitable water usage