BANGKOK, Thailand – Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has directed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor El Niño conditions and mobilize personnel and equipment to assist communities facing drought, localized heavy rainfall, and flash floods. The ministry reported that unpredictable rainfall has led to extended dry spells in some regions and sudden, intense flooding in others. The response focuses on ensuring sufficient household water supplies, minimizing agricultural impacts, and improving national preparedness for drought and floods.
Department of Water Resources Director-General Teerachun Bunsith stated that over 50 million rai are at risk of drought and 20.85 million rai are vulnerable to flooding. The department has deployed 399 water pumps, more than 240 machines, 2,275 flood and landslide warning stations, and over 1,000 monitoring stations for telemetry, hydrology, and CCTV. Additional resources include 11 frontline water management centers, 60 clean-water production and service centers, over 500 pumping sites, nearly 500 officials, and 2,300 community network members.
Since October 1, 2025, the department has provided drought relief in 36 provinces, pumping 23.25 million cubic meters of water and distributing over nine million liters of clean water. These efforts have supported more than 140,000 households and over 190,000 rai of agricultural and community land. Flood relief operations in 35 provinces have pumped over 55 million cubic meters of water, assisting more than 400,000 households and nearly 130,000 rai. These actions demonstrate the government’s commitment to promptly addressing the effects of extreme weather on public livelihoods. (NNT)
