Floods are a natural phenomenon in the Chao Phraya river Basin and while residents have
historically adapted their lifestyle to deal with annual flood events they cause significant economic
losses. The major causes have been (i) the decline of flood retention areas and the confinement of flood
plains due to increasing development; (ii) rapid urbanization and (iii) the intensification of agriculture. In
recent years, the Government has had some success in reducing the magnitude of flooding through the
construction of multi‐purpose reservoirs and other flood control infrastructure. Although the extent of
flooding has been reduced through construction of dikes, this has resulted in a higher overall flood risk