Recent MRC studies show that drought events in the lower Mekong basin have increased in frequency and severity in the past decades. The latest drought in 2016, for example, brought serious economic losses to Thailand, estimated at US$1.7 billion.
The strategy is set to focus on five priority areas that have been assessed as “poorly functioning” and requiring “immediate attention” to address droughts. They include drought indicator monitoring, which covers ground, soil moisture and crop condition monitoring, and agreed dry season flow monitoring; drought forecasting and early warning; capacity building in drought assessment and planning; mitigation measures; and information sharing systems.
Waterframes contributed to the Drought Management Strategy by giving advice and reviewing of the subsequent draft strategies.
Read the Drought Management Strategy here
