UNESCO-IHE, in the capacity of Dr. Zoran Vojinovic, is supporting Bangkok city authorities in their efforts to mitigate the floods that are currently causing a major crisis in the Thai capital. He is working closely with the managers of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, the Royal Irrigation Authority, and experts of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute Bangkok (HAII) and Deltares. The expert team together with the managers are implementing a real-time systems operation of infrastructure for flood mitigation.
HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol at PNC conference
Dr. Zoran was mainly working with HAII as they are directly engaged by the Thai government to deal with the flood crisis. The Associate Professor of Hydroinformatics was asked to give a keynote speech concerning flood risk mitigation at the Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC) conference where HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol was also present.
2.3 million affected by crisis
The country also faces grave economic losses in business and agriculture as a result of the flood crisis. Other Southeast Asian countries have suffered serious flooding in recent weeks because of heavy monsoon rains combined with tropical storms.
About 342 people have died since late July in flood-related incidents, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Thailand said. According to Reuters news agency some 2.3 million people have been affected in the worst flooding to hit parts of Thailand in 50 years, mainly in the centre, north and northeast.
