Bangkok: The government has introduced "One Map Water," a comprehensive database designed to improve disaster preparedness and prevention across the nation, with a particular focus on addressing floods and droughts.
According to Thai News Agency, Captain Patthadarasmi Thongsalooykorn, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, disclosed that during a government field visit to monitor the flood situation in Nan Province, they identified a significant issue with the redundancy and inconsistency of the country's warning system. This problem, characterized by scattered data across different agencies, has led to delays in decision-making and public preparedness. In response, the government is creating a unified data standard to provide the public with complete and integrated information about expected flooding, including its level and arrival time.
The newly launched "One Map Water" system integrates national water and disaster data from four key agencies: the Meteorological Department, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), the Water Resources Information Institute (WRII), and the Big Data Institute (BDI). These agencies collaborate to form a national water data repository with specific roles. The Meteorological Department handles weather monitoring and issues official warnings during storms and heavy rainfall.
GISTDA contributes satellite imagery and geospatial data, assessing risk areas by monitoring hotspots and PM2.5 levels. The Water Resources Informatics Institute provides data on water levels and forecasts rainfall for 24-48 hours using automatic telemetry stations. Meanwhile, the Big Data Institute (BDI) focuses on developing data analysis systems and dashboards, managing data governance, and employing AI technology to analyze disaster situations.
The Deputy Spokesperson further emphasized that the public and local agencies can now access real-time monitoring of water situations and disasters through the centralized warning dashboard at www.thaiwater.net/new4all. The government believes that the One Map water system will significantly enhance the safety and security of lives and property, leading to more accurate disaster predictions.