Thailand is likely to suffer from another "mega-flood" similar to the historic inundation in 2011 in the next decade, as climate change will increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events all over the world, a conference was told on Monday.
The director of Climate Change and Disaster Center, Seree Supratid, said at a press conference organised by FutureTales Lab by MQDC and Esri Thailand, that according to climate forecasting models, Thailand is likely to be seriously affected by widespread inundation in the next few years, with up to 34% of about 70 million Thais set to be affected by floods.
Assoc Prof Seree said extreme weather events brought on by climate change would shorten the periods between natural disasters, which include severe droughts and intense showers, meaning people will have less time to recover and rebuild before the next disaster strikes.
"Severe floods tend to happen every ten years, which means the next one can be expected sometime in 2029 or 2030. We don't want to cause panic, but the government needs to be better prepared in order to prevent and limit losses [from such disasters]," he said.
While most people won't be able to escape the impact of floods when they take place, Thais need to be prepared for the worst, he said.
According to various climate forecasting models, the volume of rainfall across Bangkok is expected to increase by 20-30% over the next decade.
With rising sea levels, which are expected to increase by 1.68 metres from the current mean sea level by the year 2100, he said that parts of Bangkok and surrounding provinces would be permanently submerged if no preventative measures are taken.
Thanaporn Thitisawat, president of Esri Thailand, said the company and FutureTales Lab by MQDC are working together to develop Urban Hazard Studio, a digital platform which utilises geographic information systems (GIS) technology to educate the public about the impact of climate change.
"The programme will help the concerned agencies evaluate and analyse risk factors to better adapt," she said.
Karndee Leopairote, executive VP FutureTales Lab by MQDC, said that the programme uses information provided by the government, which will help land developers make business decisions in the face of climate change.
