Bangkok (VNA) – The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) of Thailand has ordered authorities to accelerate preparations to respond to a potential super El Niño, forecast to emerge in late 2026 and persist into 2027, raising the risk of drought and putting pressure on water resources nationwide.
At the ONWR’s second meeting in 2026 chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, relevant agencies were instructed to urgently survey drought-prone areas outside irrigation networks to enable timely warnings and support for affected communities.
The country will also step up the rehabilitation of surface water sources and groundwater wells to expand water storage capacity, particularly for daily life.
Forecasts presented at the meeting warned that a super El Niño could bring higher temperatures and significantly reduce water storage in reservoirs. In response, ONWR called for closer real-time monitoring of water resources, continued implementation of the 2026 rainy-season water management plan, and stronger integrated water resource management involving relevant agencies and river basin committees.
The meeting also reviewed progress on sustainable water management plans for three areas – Hat Yai district in Songkhla province, three southern border provinces, and Nan province. The plans focus on flood and drought prevention, ecosystem conservation, and strengthening the disaster response capacity of both local authorities and communities.
ONWR gave in-principle approval to the Khlong Wang Tonot reservoir project in Chanthaburi province, which is scheduled for implementation during 2027–2032. Designed to store approximately 99.5 million cu.m of water, the reservoir is expected to enhance water security for the province and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The meeting acknowledged the Thai Government's mid-fiscal year 2026 budget allocation for 858 groundwater development projects aimed at strengthening community-level water security, in line with a resolution adopted on June 23./.
