The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is working with several agencies to stem the constant erosion of Bangkok's coastline in Bang Khunthian district.
Jessada Chandraprabha, director of the BMA’s Drainage and Sewerage Department, recently provided an update on efforts to address the ongoing problem in the capital's shoreline district.
He said the department has been working closely with related agencies to propose and implement projects to prevent and mitigate coastal erosion and the rising sea levels caused by climate change in the upper Gulf of Thailand, which affect parts of Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon.
According to him, a meeting was held on Jan 29 with representatives from various agencies, including the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE). The priority projects require a permanent obligation to push through in a sustained effort to fix the erosion problem.
Wave barriers
One of the key projects, funded by the BMA last year, focuses on stopping the receding coastline by erecting a 4.7-kilometre-long stone wave barrier.
This project, currently in its procurement stage, traps sediment and boosts soil nutrients, helping the mangrove forests to grow.
Furthermore, the Drainage and Sewerage Department has joined forces with other agencies, such as the Bang Khunthian district office and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, to gather data and develop measures to fight coastal erosion. They also continuously monitor sea level increases.
Since 2016, the Bang Khunthian district office has been actively involved in coastal erosion mitigation. With support from both public and private agencies as well as local residents, the district office has so far constructed a wave buffer made of bamboo stretching 2.2km along the coastline.
The office has also planted over 107,000 mangrove saplings, which has expanded the mangrove forest by 233 rai.