Thailand allies with Dutch in ‘water war’ as floods deepen with climate change
Thailand tapped Dutch water-management expertise in bilateral talks on Thursday that also promised “concrete cooperation in trade and investment … clean energy and agriculture”, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
A Thai delegation led by Asi Mamanee, director-general of the Department of European Affairs, participated in the 2nd Thailand-Netherlands Political Consultations in The Hague, after bilateral talks were suspended due to Covid-19.
Thailand is seeking to upgrade its water management as climate change brings more severe weather conditions that forced tens of thousands to flee their homes during weeks of flooding from August to October this year.
Thailand is already tapping Dutch expertise in flood defences under an agreement signed between the countries last year.
The ministry said Thursday’s meeting also explored ways to tighten economic, environmental, clean/renewable energy, agriculture industry and technology, tourism and cultural cooperation, and to promote exchanges of business and trade personnel.
Both sides swapped views on international issues such as the crises in Myanmar and Ukraine and relations between Asean and the EU. The crises, as well as trade relations between the regional blocs, will be high on the agenda when Thailand joins next month’s Asean-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels.
Talks on the stalled EU-Asean free trade agreement are also expected.
The Thai delegation also visited Deltares Delft, a Dutch institute of applied research in water and infrastructure, and talked with its Asia expert Tjitte A Nauta about further cooperation in water management.
