TECH MONITOR Nov-Dec 2007 35
Special Feature : Natural Disaster Management Technologies
Disaster warning and management
Space technology and community education in Thailand
Ampai Harakunarak
Remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) technologies are having
an increasingly significant impact on Thailand’s risk information management
and communication. Hazard-resistant communication technologies and warning
systems have been developed and are being effectively utilized among concerned
Thai agencies in disaster preparation, response and recovery processes. These data
and knowledge bases have been applied to prevention, protection, response and
recovery in any natural emergency event in the country. For flash floods and landslides,
prevention and preparedness call for warnings that include in-depth information
to give communities at risk effective access to forecasting and warning information
via media education materials.
Dr. Ampai Harakunarak
Senior Director
Thailand Environment Institute
16/151 Muang Thong Thani
Bond Street, Tambon Bangpood
Amphur Pakkred
Nonthaburi 11120, Thailand
Tel: (+66-2) 503 3333, ext 322
Fax: (+66-2) 504 4826-8
E-mail: ampai@tei.or.th
itation and flashfloods. In late 2000 and
2001, for instance, flash floods and inundation
hit Haad Yai metropolis of
Songkla Province in the south, resulting
in the loss of many people’s lives
and property. In mid-September 2004,
many villages and small urban centres
in the northern provinces had to be
evacuated due to very severe flooding.
The worst flood in 40 years hit
Chiang Mai city, a prime tourist destination,
and other areas in the north of
Thailand in mid-August 2005. More recently,
heavy rains that started in late
May 2006 caused severe flash floods
and landslides in five northern provinces
in Thailand, including Nan, Phrae,
Lamphang, Uttaradit and Sukhothai.
More than 340,000 people were affectI
Introduction
n recent years, large areas in Thailand
have been prone to disasters;
and natural calamities causing huge
losses to life and property have become
frequent events. According to Thailand’s
Department of Disaster Prevention
and Mitigation (DDPM),a
of all the
natural disasters that occurred during
the past decade,b
floods have been the
most destructive to property, crops, infrastructure
and loss of human life,
causing large economic losses and human
suffering.
As the country approaches the
monsoon season, which lasts from May
through November, most regions of
Thailand are susceptible to occasional
major tropical storms, heavy precipSpecial
Feature : Natural Disaster Management Technologies
36 TECH MONITOR Nov-Dec 2007
Special Feature : Natural Disaster Management Technologies
ed by the flooding and landslide, with
nearly 700 houses completely destroyed
and more than 1,000 roads and
bridges damaged.
Because of the negative impacts
on society and the economy caused by
flash floods and landslides, activities in
hydro-meteorological disaster reduction
in Thailand are conceived as an
important part of the country’s strategy
for sustainable development. While it is
not possible to prevent the occurrence
of natural disasters, it is indeed possible
to minimize the loss of property and
human lives by adopting an effective
disaster management strategy.
The Government of Thailand, in
collaboration with international bodies,
the private sector and NGOs, has identified
early disaster warning strategies
and effective communication techniques
to address and reduce potential
risks.c
Strategies include prediction
and early warning, damage assessment
and relief management, and prevention
and mitigation education.
Since the 2004 tsunami devastation,
these have become important
measures for Thailand. In reducing the
occurrence and severity of natural disasters,
it is well accepted that improving
the nation’s ability to assess, predict,
monitor and respond to hazardous
events is a key factor. Success will
rely on the use of information from welldesigned
and integrated systems, as
well as from the effective communication
of information to facilitate the preventive
activities that will be implemented
by local communities, particularly
those living in risk-prone areas.
This article reviews the current situation
on technical aspects of risk information
management and communication
for disaster preparedness and
mitigation in Thailand. It briefly describes
the government’s strategy and
operations related to ICT solutions for
disaster prevention and management,
including the application of space technology
and geographical information
system technologies. To address the
importance of interfacing technology
and its application with people, the article
discusses the potential of specific
information techniques and communication
for the needs of direct beneficiaries
in the disaster-prone areas. It
also presents an initiative to develop
effective means for communicating risk
and emergency response information
to local residents.
Space-related technology
Imaging and geospatial information
technologies are important and necessary
for disaster preparedness and
mitigation. Natural disasters such as
floods and landslides usually occur on
a large scale, and information provided
by remote sensing technology and
geographic information system (GIS)
is a most appropriate input to analysis
of actual events and investigation of
potential risks. Space-based technologies
have been used worldwide to
provide efficient and reliable information
and data inputs, on a real- or nearreal-time
basis, for disaster monitoring,
assessment, and warning.1
In the AsiaPacific
region, cooperation efforts have
been made to enhance the development
of each country’s disaster-related
space activities and to provide opportunities
for exchanging technical
information and knowledge generation
in space programmes for maximum
benefits for the countries concerned.
In 1981, Thailand first established
a LANDSAT/METEOSAT ground receiving
station, providing up-to-date
and timely data both from earth resources
satellite LANDSAT and meteorological
satellites such as NOAA,
TIROS-N, and GMS. Until recently, satellite
remote sensing data applications
were mainly for environmental change
studies and impact assessment, including
forest cover assessment and monitoring,
vegetation index monitoring,
and land use mapping.2 At present,
satellite data for Thailand’s natural disaster
monitoring are available from
IRS, JERS, MOS, IKONOS, QuickBird,
RADARSAT, LANDSAT, SPOT, ALOS,
TERRA & AQUA MODIS, and NOAA.3, 4
In addition, Thailand’s first optical imaging
satellite (as part of Thailand Earth
Observation System - THEOS) is
scheduled to be launched in November
2007, providing geo-referenced
image products and image processing
capabilities, for applications in the fields
of cartography, land use, agricultural
monitoring, forestry management, coastal
zone monitoring, and flood risk management.5
Based on this important development,
satellite remote sensing has
become Thailand’s main data source
for multiple disaster monitoring and responses,
including flood, drought, landslide,
forest fire, coastal change, and
tsunami.
With the launches of five satellites,
namely THAICOM 1 in December 1993,
THAICOM 2 in October 1994, THAICOM
3 in April 1997, THAICOM 4 in August
2005, and THAICOM 5 in May 2006, Thailand’s
national Global Earth Observation
(GEO) has established a communications
network.6, 7 These satellites have
provided services such as television
broadcasting, internet via satellite, and
transponder leasing. The services also
include emergency communication in
the events of earthquake, flood, landslide
or other natural disasters.3
The system
provides historical databases of images,
which, when combined with other
relevant data in a Geographical Information
System (GIS), have generated potential
natural hazard zone maps, while
large-scale maps during a disaster can
provide valuable information for relief
operation and rehabilitation.
The geographic information system
(GIS), as a platform for data storage,
management and analysis, has
been widely used in Thailand to support
effective monitoring and assessment
of natural resources and environmental
changes. In the 1990s, GIS
technology was largely employed in the
study of sustainable land use, land and
environmental degradation and factors
that influence crop production.8
Over
the last decade, several government
agencies in charge of resource and
area management have increasingly
been the major beneficiaries of enabling
GIS technology.
In a disaster situation, the Department
of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
(DDPM) of the Ministry of Interior
now adopts GIS to keeping its mandate
of managing disasters through the
formulation of a disaster-related information
database.9
Since 2005, three
disaster-related databases, namely, a
chemical risk area database, a network
of disaster-concerned agencies/experts
database, and a flood and mudslide
database, have been established within
the Department. A GIS application programme
was also launched by DDMP to
enhance its capability needed for flood
monitoring and disaster mitigation.
TECH MONITOR Nov-Dec 2007 37
Special Feature : Natural Disaster Management Technologies
At the sub-regional level, as a
member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand
has been involved in the ASEAN+3
Satellite Image Archive for Environmental
Study (ASIAES). The initiative,
which was proposed by Thailand and
endorsed at the 3rd ASEAN Economics
Ministers (ASEM+3) Meeting in May
2001, is a coordination effort of spacerelated
agencies from the ASEAN+3
community.d
It aims to set up an internet-based,
distribution network of satellite
data archive and other environmental
information. To achieve this objective,
a GIS metadata and remote
sensing database clearing house has
been established and implemented for
disaster management in the ASEAN+3
region. The ASIAES clearing house will
support geospatial information us