13.3.4

13.3.4 Inform and support government

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) informs and supports local and regional government in local climate change disaster and risk early warning and monitoring. Through the research programme “Innovation for Water Security: Research for Area Development and Integrated Water System Solutions”, funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), SWU researchers share risk information, monitoring data and early-warning technology with local administrative organisations, the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization and disaster prevention and mitigation offices. In October 2025 (B.E. 2568), the programme supported flood monitoring and early warning in Phayao Province and a community flash-flood early-warning network in Nan Province.

PHAYAO PROVINCE

1. Supporting the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization’s early-warning system (27 October 2025)

On 27 October 2025, the SWU team met the Deputy Chief Executive of the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) and the working team of the PAO’s Water Data Management Centre. The team reviewed the PAO’s current early-warning technology and five years of flood and drought damage statistics. The co-operation aims to ensure that the research results are used in policy planning, crisis-response measures for water disasters, and the development of Phayao’s early-warning and water management systems.

Meeting with Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization

Figure 1. Co-ordination meeting with the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization and its Water Data Management Centre (27 October 2025).

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

2. FloodBoy flood monitoring and early warning for local government

On 23–24 October 2025, the SWU team exchanged knowledge with the Climate Change Data Center (CCDC) and the Center of Excellence for Natural Disaster Management (CENDiM), Chiang Mai University, on applying the FloodBoy flood-monitoring system in Phayao Province. FloodBoy uses a solar-powered radar sensor to measure water levels and sends data in real time to an online platform, with data stored on cloud and blockchain databases and shared through an open API.

The project installed FloodBoy in the target areas of Chun and Phu Kam Yao districts and linked the system to the operation base of local government, so that local administrative organisations and subdistrict officers can monitor water levels and issue warnings by themselves, including in upstream and remote areas that central government systems do not reach. Officers of local administrative organisations and villagers were trained as a local monitoring network to look after the FloodBoy stations, and CCDC and CENDiM trained local government officers to use the technology. Real-time water level data are displayed on the project’s swu-water-watch dashboard.

Meeting with CCDC and CENDiM and a FloodBoy station

Figure 2. Meeting with CCDC and CENDiM, Chiang Mai University, and a FloodBoy monitoring station (23–24 October 2025).

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

FloodBoy water level station installed beside a river in Phayao

Figure 3. FloodBoy water-level monitoring station installed in the project area, Phayao Province.

Source: Full report, Innovation for Water Security: Research for Area Development and Integrated Water System Solutions, Srinakharinwirot University, submitted to the National Research Council of Thailand

FloodBoy data management architecture

Figure 4. Data management architecture of the FloodBoy system.

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

3. Informing district and local officials about local climate risks (28–31 October 2025)

From 28 to 31 October 2025, the team held workshops at the Phu Kam Yao, Mueang Phayao, Pong and Chun district offices with 67 participants, including deputy district chiefs, mayors, engineering division officers, community leaders and officers of the provincial and district disaster prevention and mitigation offices. The team shared a risk analysis of hazards, exposure, vulnerability and local capacity, and worked with participants to prepare local evacuation maps and local flood, flash-flood and drought calendars.

The monthly risk calendar shows when lake overflow, flash floods, drought and storms are likely to occur in each month. It is linked to the administrative and budget cycle of local government, so that local administrative organisations can plan budgets and staff ahead of the disaster season instead of waiting for an event to happen.

Planning workshops at four district offices in Phayao

Figure 5. Workshops with district officials, local administrative organisations, disaster prevention and mitigation officers and community leaders at four district offices in Phayao Province (28–31 October 2025).

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

Training session on evacuation map manual and flood calendar

Figure 6. Training on the use of the evacuation map manual and the local flood, flash-flood and drought calendar, Phayao Province.

NAN PROVINCE

4. Technology transfer for a flash-flood early-warning network (27 October 2025)

In Nan Province, the research team worked with the Nan Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and subdistrict administrative organisations, including Rim, Tha Wang Pha, Nam Pua, Si Phum and Chai Watthana. A technology-transfer and mapping workshop was completed on 27 October 2025.

The team transferred a four-level flash-flood early-warning system (watch, prepare, prepare to evacuate, evacuate). Automatic sensors measure water levels in rivers and streams, and alerts are sent by civil-band radio (78 MHz and 245 MHz) with sound, flashing lights and recorded voice messages, so that warnings reach villages without mobile-phone coverage. The system runs on solar power with backup batteries and sends status reports every 10–30 minutes, allowing local agencies to follow the water situation in real time. Disaster prevention officers and local government representatives jointly marked the main stations, sub-stations and repeater stations on Google My Maps, and the map serves as the base dataset for installing the warning system. After the workshop, 12 local organisations were assessed as ready to start immediately, and Rim Subdistrict Administrative Organization was selected as the pilot site.

Diagram of how the four-level flash flood warning system works

Figure 7. Working principle of the four-level flash-flood early-warning system.

Model of warning station locations along a river

Figure 8. Model of the flash-flood early-warning network used to plan station locations with disaster prevention officers and local government in Nan Province.

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

Village early warning map on Google My Maps

Figure 9. Village early-warning map on Google My Maps, created jointly with disaster prevention officers and local government representatives.

Source: Activity report, Innovation for Water Security research programme, Srinakharinwirot University

5. Training local officers to use national water and climate data for early warning

In the afternoon session of the same workshop, 25 participants were trained to use the National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center (Thaiwater.net) and the Nan provincial water data system (nan.thaiwater.net). They learned to read daily rainfall, air and soil moisture, water volumes in large, medium and small reservoirs, real-time rainfall and flood forecasts, and 24-hour accumulated rainfall graphs. Participants compared this data with rainfall and water levels observed in their own areas to set warning thresholds at the subdistrict level, monitor flood-risk areas and communicate with communities during a crisis. Many participants planned to combine the system with the database of the disaster prevention and mitigation office and the warning map made in the morning session.

Local officers practising with water data in Nan workshop

Figure 10. Local government and disaster prevention officers practising with early-warning data during the workshop in Nan Province (October 2025).

Group work during Nan early warning workshop

Figure 11. Group work on warning station locations and water data, Nan Province (October 2025).

Summary

In October 2025, SWU informed and supported local and regional government in climate-related disaster early warning and monitoring. In Phayao, the university supported the Provincial Administrative Organization’s early-warning work, brought FloodBoy real-time flood monitoring to local government, and shared risk analyses and monthly risk calendars with district and local officials. In Nan, it transferred a four-level flash-flood early-warning system and trained local officers to use national water and climate data for monitoring and warning.

Local government: district offices, municipalities and subdistrict administrative organisations in Phayao, and subdistrict administrative organisations in Nan.

Regional and provincial government: the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization and the Phayao and Nan Provincial Offices of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.