The Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) yesterday officially embarked on a policy to enhance water resource management in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) area.
It began by teaming up with the Ministry of Environment, South Korea, the Asia Water Council, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to hold a seminar on prevailing issues.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who presided over the event, said the seminar was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and policy recommendations made by the OECD.
"In the past, Thailand has always paid close and thoughtful attention to systematic and sustainable management of water resources by considering it as one of the most urgent items on the agenda.
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"Moreover, water has been utilised according to the 20-year Water Resources Management Master Plan [2018–2037]," he said, adding that it requires cooperation from all sectors to manage water resources effectively both within the country and with foreign partners.
Surasi Kittimonthon, secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources, said the purpose of this meeting was mainly to discuss opinions from relevant departments on water resource management policies in the EEC area under the 5-Year Framework Water Partnership Initiative, 2020–2024.
Later, Xavier Henri Joseph, the principal administrator of the OECD, gave a presentation on the project's development and how the organisation would steer the initiative in a variety of areas, including financing water supplies, sanitation, industries that use a lot of water, water reclamation, and compensation measures for sharing water.
Subsequently, six public institutions relevant to the project -- the ONWR, the Eastern Special Development Zone Policy Office, the Royal Irrigation Department, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Provincial Waterworks Authority, and Wastewater Management Organisation, gathered to offer their perspectives on numerous topics presented earlier, including water tariffs, private finance, potentially incoming drought year, investor confidence, wastewater management awareness, the industrial sector's importance, Thailand's drinkable tap water, and such.
Mr Joseph promised to use this feedback to develop EEC investor confidence and enhance regional competitiveness. However, he expressed some concern about the 20-year Water Resources Management Master Plan, saying stakeholders' opinions should be included in the plan to build investor confidence.