Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai government is drafting a plan worth 548.4 million THB (15.3 million USD) to ensure water security in the next three years.
Following a meeting at the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) on August 5, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stressed that water security is an important issue and urged all relevant agencies to come up with an effective water management plan, local media reported.
A significant part of the state's budget each year is used to assist and/or compensate flood victims, he said, adding that the government has also opened up to foreign investments in new industries that consume large amounts of water, so increasing water security is of critical importance.
The PM said the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) will draft a three-year water management plan that includes projects designed to boost the nation's water security. The plan is expected to be tabled to the cabinet for approval by August.
He ordered the ONWR, the RID and the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) to closely monitor flood risks during the rainy season and devise a thorough disaster mitigation plan for flood-prone areas.
The plan is expected to help 4.5 million households access to clean water as well as connect 1.92 million ha out of 2.52 million ha of non-irrigated land nationwide to irrigation channels, thereby improving the country’s resilience against drought. It will also increase the country’s total water reserves to 4.7 billion cu.m.
To achieve these targets, the plan will incorporate projects that include the construction of new dams, improving irrigation channels in rural areas, rehabilitation of watershed areas, and the construction of new water retention zones.
The PM said the government has a comprehensive water resources management plan in place, which will help prevent and deal with natural disasters.
Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow said the water management plan is in line with the previous government's 20-year water management framework, noting that some projects will be carried out under a public-private partnership (PPP) model due to budget limitation./.
