Lessons learned from 2011 Thailand flood and preparation for the next Start of integrated water circulation information server in Thailand
In Thailand, effective prediction techniques for integrated management of hydro-meteorological data and water-related disasters is insufficient, and accurate information transmission of the danger of water-related disasters is not available.
As part of Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS), which is structured as a collaboration between the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the research team of the project titled “Integrated Study Project on Hydro-Meteorological Prediction and Adaptation to Climate Change in Thailand (IMPAC-T)” led by Professor Taikan Oki, Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, developed a numerical simulation model that predicts the water level and river discharge of the Chaophraya river and an integrated water circulation information system including real-time data collection and visualization of simulation results. These results have been made open to the public from January 2014. This enables near real-time prediction of floods affected areas when an abnormal event (for example, heavy rainfall in the upstream area of the river basin) occurs, and provision of accurate information transmission in a real-time basis, which was not available at the time of the severe flood in 2011. As a prevention measure for future flood disasters, it will be possible to calculate flood transitions using the real-time and forecasted rainfall distributions, and estimate the amount of damage reduction such as in inundation area and depth from changes in reservoir operations.
The results of this IMPAC-T project have been issued by the international research journal Hydrological Research Letters as a special collection. This is expected to contribute to the future development of science and technology in water-related fields, not only in Japan but also in Thailand.
Paper
Taikan Oki, Masashi Kiguchi, Shinichiro Nakamura and Nontawat Junjareon,
“Special Collection 2: Integrated Study on Hydro-Meteorological Prediction and Adaptation to Climate Change in Thailand (IMPAC-T)”,
Hydrological Research Letters March, 2014.
Article link
Links
Institute of Industrial Science
Taikan Oki Laboratory, Department of Human and Social Systems, Institute of Industrial Science
IMPAC-T “Hydrometeorological conditions in Chao Phraya river basin”