OpenGovAsia-Aug 14
Thailand hopes its inventiveness, food manufacturing expertise and investment in smart agriculture and water management technology can help reinforce its status as the “kitchen of the world”.
Thailand has consistently transformed its food industry over the past 60 years. Through the transfer of technology, perseverance and government support – from improving credit access for farmers to implementing international standards in production and packaging to ensure the highest level of safety and quality across the food chain, they have managed to clinch the title of the “kitchen of the world”.
As the agriculture in Thailand is largely dependent upon the water management systems, many steps have been taken to transform these water management systems and make it resistant to challenges including natural disasters such as flooding and droughts as well as pollution.
Annually, Thailand receives rainfall of about 800 billion m3 yr−1. After deducting evaporation, evapotranspiration and infiltration, the remaining part is 200 billion m3 of natural flow. Runoff is 79% of the natural flow. The yearly freshwater requirement of the country is about 152 billion m3. The water demand is divided into various elements and 114 billion m3 is for agriculture.
In 2014, Thailand had renewable freshwater resources per capita of 3310 m3, while upper‐middle‐ and high‐income countries possessed an average of 8260 and 8730 m3 respectively. At the same time 90.4% of freshwater withdrawal in Thailand contributed to agricultural activities, while upper‐middle and high‐income countries consumed only 67.8 and 40.8% respectively. Since water resources are related to a Thailand’s development, these data imply the need for Thailand to strategic when it comes to water management.
Thailand is currently developing strategic plans for proper water management technologies to be developed, for the next 20 years. The plans adhere to the principle of river basin integrated frameworks and sustainable water management. At the same time, the plans also take government policies and the national economic and social development plans into consideration.
One of the most crucial water management strategy is Water quality management. More than 80% of fresh water resources have fairly good quality. However, more needs to be done to improve water treatment efficiency and control estuary water salinity. In the last yeat alone, technologies to improve the quality of water in Thailand are being developed by more than 7 new start-up environmental technology (envtech) companies in Thailand.
In line with the Thai government’s Smart Nation or Thailand 4.0 vision, they have invested a heavy sum of money in envtech companies to create smart and integrated water management systems that allow for a sustainable means of meeting their agricultural demands.
Given that Thailand will be facing a manpower crunch in the agricultural sector, they need to stay afloat and ensure sustainable means of production. The water management technology therefore has to be smart so that it would not require a workforce to operate.
These technologies which are in the process of being developed, are a sustainable means to ensure that the manpower crunch that Thailand’s agriculture industry is facing, will not be a deterrent that prevents Thailand from upgrading its agriculture industry and meeting the demands of the world.
https://www.opengovasia.com/articles/water-management-technology-in-thailand-the-smart-wa
