SEOUL - Korean Water Resources Corp (K-Water) has expressed confidence in its ability to conduct water management projects in Thailand.
Twopassers-by walk on a pavement next to the Gangjeong- Goryeong Weir, a K-Water river development project in South Korea. The government-owned company aims to apply its model to the rivers in Thailand. PATSARAJIKKHAM
The firm, which has won two modules of the government's 350 billion baht water-management scheme, stressed it would apply its experience in handling development projects in South Korea to those in Thailand.
Lee Han-goo, river and water resources director of K-Water's Southeast Asia Department, said the firm's initial findings suggest Thai projects have similar structures to the company's development projects on the Nakdong, Han, Geum and Yeongsan rivers in South Korea.
Development plans used for the four rivers will be adopted as a key model in managing the Chao Phraya River basin so Thailand can reap the maximum benefit from the projects, Mr Lee said.
He made the comments to Thai journalists as they toured K-Water's water management projects in South Korea. K-Water will analyse geographic data, aerial and satellite photos to specify the water retention areas in Thailand, he said.
The water containment areas will prevent future flooding in industrial and economic areas, and store water for irrigation during the dry season, he said. K-Water was selected to handle flood retention areas under Module A3 for 10 billion baht, and floodway construction along the Chao Phraya River under Module A5 for 153 billion baht.
Mr Lee said the major floods in 2011 stemmed from narrow water channels, so they must be expanded to increase water flow to the sea.
He also recommended Thailand set up a single command centre to integrate water management information.
K-Water also plans to build a water museum similar to the one it built on the Gyeong dyke on South Korea's Ara waterway to educate the public about the water management project. The museum will also serve as a recreational venue.
Mr Lee said the company will encourage locals along the project's waterways to get involved in water management.
The director brushed aside worries about the Module A5 construction, which concerns a 300km-long floodway. A similar enterprise, which the company worked on, the Yongin water project, was only 18km long. Mr Lee said the most important issue is the width of the waterway. He said more dredging techniques and dykes are needed for the Thai projects.
K-Water vice-president Yune Byung-hoon said the state-owned firm had sent its experts to study Chao Phraya River basin management several years prior to joining the bidding contest for the Thai water management scheme.
The study was carried out to discover the real cause of floods and droughts in Thailand, he said.
Meanwhile, a South Korean environmental advocate has complained that the country's four major river projects have been plagued with corruption and environmental problems.
Hyung Cheol-yum, manager of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement, said the government spent more than 4 billion baht developing water quality in the four rivers as well as building dams on the waterways.