The Thai water sector exchanged and discussed climate change adaptation policies and their implementation at the national and sub-national level with German peers and other Thai government agencies on a study tour to Germany from 18 to 26 May 2019.

The Thai water sector was represented by Dr. Somkiat Prajamwong, the Secretary-General of the Office of the Natural Water Resources (ONWR), which has been established as the regulating agency in the water sector. It has also been appointed as the national lead agency for climate change adaptation in the water sector.

Enhancing climate resilience in national water resources management is a top priority for climate change adaptation in Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

The NDC prioritises the promotion of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a key adaptation effort to achieve water security, reduce flood and drought risks and manage extreme weather events. ONWR with the support of Thai-German Climate Programme -Water (TGCP-Water) is currently advancing the concept of climate-sensitive Integrated Water Resources Management.

ONWR, TGCP-Water and the River Basin Committees’ pilot river basins of the Yom and Sakaekrang are working to develop River Basin Master Plans which should integrate climate information, risk information and ecosystem-based solutions to allow for effective adaptation.

At the national level, further actions for mainstreaming of adaptation in the water sector include capacity building and the development of indicators and methodologies to monitor and evaluate adaptation measures in water resources management as well as analysis of how to integrate and raise finance for climate change adaptation in the Thai water sector.

Taking into account the cross-cutting character of climate change and adaptation, the Thai delegation included representatives from different government sectors, such as health, urban planning, and water.

The discussions with a range of institutions and experts not only allowed for substantial Thai-German exchange of knowledge and practices but also strengthened inter-agency cooperation across the agencies working in the fields defined as priority sectors for climate change adaptation. This will be vital for the sectoral mainstreaming and in-country implementation of Thailand’s climate goals as set out in the NDC.