The European Union has announced new financial support for the improvement of the irrigation system in the Lower East Chao Phraya river basin, including a €12 million grant to be blended with a loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) and co-financed with the Asian Development Bank. The European Union intents to provide an additional contribution through cooperation with the German Development Agency (GIZ).
The announcements mark important progress in the project and highlight the contribution of Team Europe – the EU, AFD and GIZ – under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy to strengthening Thailand’s climate resilience and improving water management.
The €12 million grant will finance crucial elements of the project which will provide the institutional and digital backbone for improved water management across the Lower East Chao Phraya basin. This will include a Decision Support System (DSS), flood forecasting and hydrometeorological monitoring. Together, these tools will help shift flood management from fragmented and largely manual approaches towards a more integrated, real-time and basin-wide system.
The additional grant, to be delivered under the EU’s bilateral Multiannual Indicative Programme for Thailand, will support the project by strengthening the resilience of riverine communities through early warning systems and community-based disaster risk management.
The community-based systems will be connected to local authorities and linked to information generated through the Decision Support System. This will help ensure that critical information reaches communities most at risk, enabling people to prepare and act earlier to flooding or other climate-related hazards.
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela stated: “First of all, let me express my solidarity with people affected by the recent floods. Events like this are a reminder that climate change and extreme weather have very real consequences for people, communities, farmers, businesses and public services. Through Global Gateway and Team Europe, the EU is bringing together European financing, expertise and technology to support Thailand in strengthening water management, reducing flood risks and building resilience for the long term”.
Background Information
The Lower East Chao Phraya Irrigation System Improvement Project is part of the Chao Phraya Flood Risk Management Master Plan, a comprehensive 20-year framework developed by the Royal Irrigation Department with the support of the Asian Development Bank to foster resilient growth and productivity across the Lower East Chao Phraya river basin.
The master plan builds on lessons from disasters such as the devastating 2011 monsoon floods, and aims to strengthen Thailand’s capacity to manage water and adapt to increasing climate risks.
The project will cover a network of 22 major irrigation canals extending approximately 460 kilometres, together with 23 water-control structures across eight provinces and administrative areas.
Once completed, the project is expected to:
- reduce flood-related damage by an average of approximately THB 10 billion annually;
- protect more than 258,000 rai, equivalent to over 400 square kilometres of communities and key economic areas from flooding; and
- increase water storage for domestic consumption during the dry season by more than 17 million cubic metres per year.
Global Gateway
Global Gateway is the EU’s strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport, and to strengthen health, education and research systems worldwide.
It delivers high-quality investments that meet the highest environmental, social and governance standards, ensuring sustainability and transparency for partners, people and the planet.
