Hitech flood fight In all key rivers

Over 140 hydrologic telemetry devices will be installed along all water channels to fetch actual water levels, being one of modern scientific tools to be adopted in the national water management scheme.

Aside from the device, the Hydro and Agro Infomatics Institute will also work with GeoInformatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to study river contours. All information would be used to complete water management models. Each model will be attached with solutions how the water should be channelled to the sea, to minimize the negative impacts, according to the Institute's director Royol Jitdon, who sits on the government appointed Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management.
The model will analyze three different situations: flood situations, hydrodynamic situations, and flood routing situation.
“I think we can get enough information but after that the information must be analysed. First we have the hydrodynamic model to see how much the rainfall will result in rainwater,” Royol told The Nation in the special interview.
“Another model will look at the flooding. Then the other model will see the flood routing which look at how the flood water will be drained. It will show which route is the best and can fasted drain the water. This is my duty. I prepare the (information) system to be considered and decide. We lacked precise information in the past,” he said.
“I am responsible for development of information. The information will then be used for disaster warning which will be conducted with criteria such as at what level of rainfall that the warning will be issued. The National Disaster Warning Centre will be in charge of that. The framework will be clear,” he said.
“If the problem is at the information, blame me. My duty is to prepare the information ready for the warning and management. My duty is on preparing the information for management during crisis. If that is the problem, blame me. But it is not that I am responsible for everything,” Royol said.
Royol said his team has started to install the telemetry system for each water shade across country to collect hydrologic data such as the level of water and the amount of water in each river to put in the analysis program to predict the flood situation in each areas.
"This hydrologic information system will help relevant agencies and local authorities to make their right decision to deal with flood situation at that time," he said.
HAII will set up 140 telemetry devices in water shades across country by June. So far, the agency has installed about 60 telemetry devices.
The hydrologic data collected from these telemetry devices in each water shades across country will be put in the National Hydrologic Data Center and support the local authorities and flood related agencies to cope with the emergency operations.
According to the primary prediction for the amount of rainfall in this year from a model which earlier run by his team, Royol forecasted that the heavy rainfall will result in a large percentage of the rainwater due to the influence of monsoon in the north of Pacific Ocean or the northeast monsoon which will get worse in this year.
“ We found the variability of weather and climate condition in the Pacific ocean in this year was like in 2008 which caused three heavy monsoons. We predicted that the flood situation in this year will get worse (than in 2008) but better than last year,” he said.
His team will start working with the Royal Irrigation Department and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand by March 20 to study the model, supported by Denmark and Netherlands agencies, to predict the amount of rain fall in this year.
“ We will review the model that use to predict the amount of rainfall and find out how to make the prediction with more accuracy,” Royol said.
The outcome of model will be used by the flood related agencies such as Defense Ministry, which is the main agency to construct and operate the flood prevention together with the Interior Ministry, National Disaster Warning Center and Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Ministry.
The models will predict the flood situation in the areas located in different river basins in the northern and middle part of Thailand including Ping river basin and Wang river basin, Yom river basin and Nan river basin, the rivers that are located on the lower areas of Nakhon Sawan province, the rivers in Chao Phra Ya basin, and the areas surrounding Bangkok.
The flood models will be conducted for the outer and the inner Bangkok separately, just as on the east and the west of the Chao Phraya river as well (also separated), so that it is easy to compare the accuracy and for management, Royol said.
also will collect the street level data of each street surrounding Bangkok such as Buddha Monthon Sai 5 and Klong 13 canal. This data will help the related flood agencies to evaluate the capacity of each street to drain and block flood water.
Moreover, HAII will cooperate with Chinese state agencies to develop the seasonal model which will show the weather condition in each season. The model will analyse the changing of land use and the oceanic condition. It is expected to forecast weather condition for sixmonth period.
“We will soon know the exactly beginning and ending period of rainy season,” he said.
His agency now sends staffs to attend the workshop in China to learn how to use this model effectively.
After using some of models to analyse the last year flood situations, he said his team found the large amount of sediments in Yom river which was the main cause for flood in Pitsanulok province's Bang Ra Kham district for over five months.
“ We were surprised after we found that there was a large amount of sediments under Yom river which block the drainage system,” Royol said.
He added that if related agencies could dredge all this large amount of sediments from the river and surrounding areas that mean they would be able to drain water faster from 357 cubic meters per second to 500 cubic meter per second. This would reduce the amount of prolong flood in the field from 8 billion cubic meters to 4 billion cubic meters.
“ All we have to do is finding resolution to resolve flood problem together as some solution might create other problem for other areas,” he said.