Policy guideline on disaster risk reduction for climate change adaptation : a case of Klong Yan Watershed Resourse Conservation and Rehabilitation Network, Suratthani

Abstract

Thailand is one of South-east Asian countries that have been suffered from extreme events resulting from the impacts of climate change. One consequence of changes is the severity and frequency of extreme events leading to disasters in all regions of Thailand. These effects provided losses and damages at all levels. To solve such problems, water resource management under climate change adaptation has been set up under policy guidelines to reducing the disaster risk from the climate change. The objective of this study is to study the policy guidelines on disaster risk reduction for climate change adaptation on water resource management in Klong Yan Sub-Watershed, Surat Thani Province. Vibhavadee District and Kirirat Nikom District were the study areas because these areas suffered from severe floods for the past decade. Respondents of the study were applied by the purposive sampling method in order to select stakeholder’s involvement. The number of respondents were 29 including governmental officials, local leader, local wisdom scholars, the network of watershed groups and non-profit organization. Data collection used in this study including desk study of secondary data and in-depth interviews of primary data by using a set of questionnaires. A set of questionnaires based on the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan 2015, Thailand Climate Change Master Plan 2015-2050 and the strategic plan on water resource management 2015. Descriptive research method was used for data analysis which presented in terms of percentage results.

The research found that only 31 % of the respondents were familiar with the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Plan 2015. However, about 69 % of the respondents were not familiar with this plan. They noted that effective policy implementation requires knowledge training, awareness raising, building communication systems and early warning systems and the creation of the network groups through local activities. In terms of policy guidelines for climate change adaptation on water resources, the study found that only 24.13% of the respondents knew Thailand Climate Change Master Plan 2015-2050. While, about 75 % of respondents did not familiar with this plan. They viewed that effective policy guidelines require increased knowledge and perception, restoring the watershed-forest, networking the conservation and rehabilitation of natural environment. Regarding the policy guidelines on water resource management, 48.27% of the respondents knew about the strategic plan on water resource management 2015. However, 51.72% of the respondents did not familiar with this plan. They noted that the policy implement requires encouraging knowledge and raising awareness, building the waste water treatment systems, building check dams, improving the waterway and drainage systems. Therefore, knowledge and raising awareness on water resource management should be enhanced on the policy guidelines for climate change adaptation on water resources.