Bangkok has given itself 52 out of 100 on its city resilience score, indicating there is still much to do regarding crisis preparedness, Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej said on Wednesday.
Tavida was speaking at the forum “Floods, Droughts and the Future of Bangkok” hosted by Chulalongkorn University on the occasion of the World Bank’s publication of a report on Thailand’s economic outlook for June 2023, highlighting the need to prepare for floods and droughts in the city.
Tavida said after registering with the United Nations’ Making Cities Resilient (MCR) initiative, Bangkok had undertaken a self-evaluation and given itself a score of 52 out of 100 in crisis resilience. It has also set a goal of improving the resilience score in 3 years by making residents understand that these issues are related to their everyday lives.
Regarding flood preparedness, the BMA has implemented artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology in water resource management and public notification, she said, adding that the city’s ‘rain radar’ can forecast heavy rains about to hit the city up to 1-1.5 hours in advance, allowing the city to warn people to plan their travel accordingly.
“We have also installed water sensors at sewers and drains on main roads to report flooding in real-time, as well as adjusted CCTV cameras to detect water levels on the roads during the rain, allowing us to calculate when the flood water could be drained out,” she said.
The BMA has marked 737 points that are prone to flooding on the BKK Risk Map to warn commuters to avoid them during downpours.
To combat drought, the city has built check dams in agricultural areas to ensure that farmers have adequate water supply, said Tavida, adding that compressors have also been provided to farmers to eliminate the need to burn their harvest stubble, which is one of the main causes of PM2.5 air pollution.
“The BMA has been working with nearby provinces and related agencies to address problems and set the most efficient water resource management plan,” she said. “The plan follows the purpose of the Water Resources Act in fair allocation of water resources with clear priority.”
The forum can be replayed at www.facebook.com/WorldBankThailand/videos/247260664762640
