BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri chaired his first National Water Resources Committee meeting on April 29, 2026, officially elevating the nation’s water crisis management to a national agenda.
Joined by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, the committee approved a strategic roadmap focusing on high-precision forecasting and rapid warning systems to protect citizens and the economy from the volatile “flood-drought-pollution” cycle caused by climate change.
To centralize water data, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak designated the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) as the lead agency to integrate information from the Meteorological Department, GISTDA, and other key bodies into a single, reliable National Water Data Warehouse. This hub will provide real-time risk assessments and early warnings, especially for communities outside irrigation zones. The committee also approved two major Royal Initiative reservoir projects—Nam Ree in Nan and Huai Mae Pa Phai in Chiang Mai—to serve as critical water reserves.
Nine urgent measures have been approved for the 2026 rainy season, ranging from targeted risk alerts to the establishment of pre-disaster management centers. The ONWR also presented a massive 2027 Water Management Action Plan featuring over 49,000 projects, which will be submitted to the Cabinet for budget approval.
The committee also confirmed the appointment of Provincial Water Resources Sub-committees across all 76 provinces, creating a unified chain of command from the national level down to the grassroots to ensure efficient water management.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that all agencies must prioritize integrated water management to reduce public hardship and strengthen confidence during the coming rainy season. (NNT)
