Thailand’s Cabinet has given the go-ahead to a 20-year master plan on water resources management, aiming to solve drought, flood and wastewater problems.

Thailand’s Cabinet has given the go-ahead to a 20-year master plan on water resources management, aiming to solve drought, flood and wastewater problems. (Photo: thaivisa.com)

Somkiat Prachamwong, Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), said after a Cabinet meeting on June 18 that the plan is the second of four pillars which set concrete targets for officials.

The plan targets supplying clean water to 75,032 villages by 2030, solving floods and droughts in 66 areas covering 55,360 sq.km, building more than 541,000 small dams, and restoring 5,600 sq.km of watershed areas.

These targets are based on six strategies. They are the management of water use; security of water production; inundation control; water quality conservation; afforestation in watershed areas; prevention of soil damage; and managerial approach.

The master plan, which will run until 2037, will serve as a "map" for the ONWR. Many water projects that have played a key role in limiting drought damage to crops and protecting people against severe flooding will also receive further significant funding, according to Somkiat.

Earlier this year, the first pillar, the 2018 Water Resources Act came into force on Jan 27.

The third pillar was born to reduce redundancy, caused by more than 40 water agencies across seven ministries.

Meanwhile, the fourth pillar lies with the need to bring in new ideas and technologies to address water problems.

(Source: VNA)