GIZ, in collaboration with the Royal Irrigation Department, organises a technical training session on the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) process for integrated water resource management under climate change conditions.

Climate change has significant impacts on water resources, leading to both flooding and drought. Therefore, Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) is crucial in prioritising and defining target areas for urgent water allocation.

GIZ Thailand, in collaboration with the Royal Irrigation Department, organised a technical training session entitled ‘Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Analysis Process for Integrated Water Resource Management under Climate Change Conditions’ at the Academic Office, Royal Irrigation Department, Bangkok on 18 July 2024. The aim was to impart knowledge and understanding of the CRVA process, and develop skills in water basin planning giving due consideration to the climate dimension, and expanding these skills to other river basins. Beginning the training, Dr Kanokwan Saswattecha, the project manager, delivered a welcome speech and introduced the project, while Ms Phattaporn Mekpruksawong, a civil engineering expert from the Royal Irrigation Department, gave the opening address.

Asst. Prof. Phongsak gives a lecture on the origin and importance of risk assessment and vulnerability analysis in the context of climate change.

Asst. Prof. Phongsak Sutthinon from the Department of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, held a presentation on the origin and importance of risk assessment and vulnerability analysis in the context of climate change. He explained that in the past, water resource management structures were designed using data from the previous 30 years without considering future climate change data. Consequently, the hard structures (such as dams and floodgates) may not be sufficient to cope with increasing climate change intensity. It is therefore necessary to supplement these hard structures with ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). The CRVA analysis is a starting point to help identify areas at risk of climate change impacts, allowing irrigation engineers to plan water resource management more precisely. The CRVA consists of four main dimensions: climate change, hazards, risk exposure, and vulnerability.

In addition, Looker Studio was introduced, a free tool from Google that enables engineers to analyse CRVA and present the results as risk maps, indicating risk levels on a scale of 0-1. These maps help to identify areas that need additional resources or urgent solutions and appropriate EbA measures.

To let the officers in water management gain familiarity with the tool, the participants were divided into four groups to practice using Looker Studio to design CRVA maps tailored to their target groups. Mentors from the Royal Irrigation Department, who had received prior technical and practical training on 5 & 6 June 2024, provided close guidance to each group.

Training participants from the Royal Irrigation Department and interns plan the preparation of the maps to present, with a mentor helping and giving advice.

After the group presentations, Asst. Prof. Phongsak Sutthinon and Mr Pronmongkol Chidchob, Irrigation Engineering Expert level for Water Resource Development and Water Management in the basin area of Regional Irrigation Office 2, offered feedback and suggestions to the participants. They stressed the importance of selecting and presenting data in a format consistent with the theory, objectives, and target groups. An effective display format helps identify problematic conditions and prioritise issues in the target area, facilitating efficient overall water resource management. It can also reduce conflicts over project site selection among stakeholders, as it uses scientific, economic, social, and environmental data to create clear, easy-to-understand maps. Furthermore, prioritising and defining target areas for urgent water allocation is significant in ensuring the efficient use of limited resources.

“The question is, what can we use climate change data for in research and development? Even though we have the data, we still can’t tangibly integrate it into water management. Participating in this training allowed me to learn from the lecturers and exchange ideas with many participants, and this helped me see how we can use this data to manage water in a tangible way.”

Ms Woranan Norach, a civil engineer from the Engineering Research and Development Division, Research and Development Office, Royal Irrigation Department.

“As a mentor for this training, in addition to learning more from the previous training, the knowledge gained here can also be applied to prioritising the planning of my own design work.”

Mr Pongpich Yodying, a civil engineer at the Royal Irrigation Department.