Community-based flood risk management: Lessons learned from the 2011 flood in central Thailand

Abstract

© 2014 WIT Press. Thailand mega floods in 2011 highlighted the need for an integrated approach to a flood risk management approach, combining local level community-based action and a national strategic policy in preparation and reduction of vulnerability of a country as a whole. This paper provides fact about a flood crisis in 2011 and a set of lessons learned of community-based flood risk management from affected communities scattered around the great flood areas in central Thailand. Data and insightful information were drawn from a field visit and a three-day participatory workshop attended by over 50 participants who had experience of the flood. Included in this were community people, representatives of local administration organizations and centralized agencies responsible for dealing with natural disaster and crises. Lessons learned from the workshop are conceptualized into six knowledge platforms (KPs), highlighting the community best practices in response to the situation during and after the crisis. They include 1) structural measures; 2) nonstructural measures; 3) emergency responses; 4) how to cope with the community financial risk; 5) risk information and decision making; 6) dealing with floods crisis recovery planning.