To equip all stakeholders responsible for river basins management with the know-how and tools for climate-resilient water management, the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) together with the Thai-German Climate Programme-Water (TGCP-Water) and other partners including the Hydro Informatics Institute (HII) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are rolling out a three-phase Capacity Development Programme (CDP) on climate-sensitive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA). Phase 2 of the training was conducted in hybrid format from 1-4 February, 2022. More than 50 participants from key water agencies such as the ONWR, the Department of Water Resources, the Royal Irrigation Department, the HII, River Basin Committees, and Water User Organisations joined the training.

The training focused on enabling representatives from relevant government agencies and other key stakeholders to integrate Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessments (CRVA), Nature-based Solutions (NbS), EbA, and Green Infrastructure approaches into local planning and implementation mechanisms. Enhanced knowledge of these approaches and practices allows the national, provincial and local levels to incorporate climate risk assessments in their work while furthering the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation in integrated water resources management. In addition, it contributes to the development of river basin management plans that encompass concrete risk assessments and adaptation measures.

Having learned about the basic concepts, such as hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, the sessions provided participants representing the Yom and Sakae Krang river basins with the opportunity to exchange and discuss key considerations on CRVA application at the watershed level. These included the integration of local wisdom and traditional water management measures implemented by the government, the promotion and awareness raising of climate change adaptation for the communities in the river basins, and the area-based planning process applied in Thai water resources management. Furthermore, participants were introduced to the internationally recognised criteria for EbA/NbS, such as tackling societal challenges, increasing biodiversity, and providing sustainable solutions, and, based on this, were able to discuss possible ways to implement EbA at the watershed level. The discussion reflects a first step of the participatory approach envisaged for EbA implementation at the river basin level. With knowledge and cooperation from various stakeholders, including local community participation from the planning to the decision level, EbA is set to be effectively implemented and contribute to increased climate resilience at the river basin level.

“With knowledge of climate risk and vulnerability assessments and ecosystem-based adaptation, we can accelerate climate-sensitive water resources management and initiate projects in the Sakae Krang river basin in accordance with the current and future situation, ” said Mr. Theerapat Thepphan, leader of a water user organisation in the Sakae Krang river basin, Uthai Thani.

CDP Phase 2 is part of the “Capacity Development Programme on Cooperation Management for climate-sensitive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)”, which consists of 3 phases. The CDP Phase 1 was organised from 1-4 December, 2020 and highlighted the impacts of climate change in the river basin and the benefits of adapting to climate change using ecosystem services. Please visit the link for more information.

Phase 3 of CDP is planned for May 2022 and will provide more technical insights on how to run a CRVA process, develop climate-sensitive river basin plans and select, design and apply a range of water-related EbA measures.