The economic cost of the Mekong and Chao Phraya’s annual floods

Link to the program recording here.

Thailand is one of the world’s ten most flood-affected countries, according to the Asian Development Bank and World Bank. The great flood of 2011 caused 1.4 trillion baht in damages to the Thai economy, primarily for the tourism, manufacturing and financial sectors.

While not as severe, recent floods along the Mekong River basin have devastated swathes of Thailand’s northern provinces, as well as communities in Myanmar and Laos. The economic loss for Thailand is estimated at 46.5 billion baht. Insurer Swiss Re projects Thailand’s GDP will decline by 43.6% by 2048 without adequate climate change adaptation.

A panel of business leaders and resource experts will discuss how businesses and communities can recover from the floods, and what investments are needed to mitigate future disasters along Thailand’s Mekong and Chao Phraya waterways.

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Speakers:

Chumlarp Tejasen, assistant to the secretary-general, Office of National Water Resources.

Decharut Sukkumnoed, director of the Think Forward Center.

Sanjay Pahuja, senior water resources management specialist, World Bank.

Narumon Nilmanon, member of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce.

Naw Su Wah, livelihood program assistant of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network.

Moderator: Francesca Regalado, Nikkei Asia correspondent and FCCT board member.

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Photo credit: Adryel Talamantes