Summit draws regional leaders, experts on water problems

They will be attending the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit entitled “Water Security and Water-related Disaster Challenges: leadership and commitment”.
Thai government agencies, the private sector and local communities will also contribute ideas and technology to resolve and manage water-resources issues.
The water summit will include technical workshops and exhibitions until May 20 at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre, commemorating His Majesty’s 7th Cycle Birthday, in Chiang Mai.
Deputy Premier Plodprasop Suraswadi, who chairs the Water Resources And Flood Management Committee, said the summit is being held to highlight the necessity for water management and flood prevention due to the impact of climate change.
“We will seek collaboration from water experts at the summit to create concrete plans to handle water problems in the near future,” Plodprasop said.
Among the summit guests will be leaders from 10 nations and ministers from 26 countries. About 2,000 water experts and academics are attending from 37 countries in the region.
The king of a country in the region who does not want to be immediately named will also attend the summit, he said.
“I cannot reveal the identity of the king until his arrival day, for security reasons,” Plodprasop added.
The technical adviser to the panel, Apichart Anukularmphai, said the Thai government, which is hosting the summit, will propose the meeting set up a US$10million (about Bt296 million) water bond to support research on water-resources management in this region.
“Thailand would provide about $1 million in seed money as the first step,” he said.
In one of the exhibitions, four contenders bidding to participate in the Bt350billion water, flood-management and infrastructure projects have detailed their experience and technologies to manage water resources and severe flooding in Thailand and other parts of the world.
The four contenders are Korea Water Resources Cooperation, owned by the government of Korea, ITD Powerchina Joint Venture, Summit SUT Joint Venture, and Loxley.
The winning bidders for the water and flood-management and infrastructure mega projects – divided into nine modules – will be officially announced on June 4.
Monton Panupokin, managing director of K Water, said he expected the firm to win modules A6 and B4 to set up a Bt4billion information centre on water management because of its expertise in establishing such a centre in Korea.
K Water and ITD Powerchina Joint Venture have proposed completing nine modules, worth Bt291 billion, under water and flood management and infrastructure.
There was a strong reaction from environmental activists to an interview given by Plodprasop earlier to the media. He denounced planned opposition by civic groups, calling protesters “garbage” – even though they just wanted to submit petitions.
Hannarong Yaowalers, president of the Foundation for Integrated Water Management, said: “We do not intend to cause disturbance. but only want to tell the world that the ongoing bid for a water megaproject has skipped many legal steps.”