Welcome to IMPAC-T, “Integrated Study Project on Hydro-Meteorological Prediction and Adaptation to Climate Change in Thailand”. IMPAC-T is a technical cooperation and joint research project for Thailand, supported by Government of Japan. The Project was formulated with a view to proposing a prototype of comprehensive hydrological information system to support the decision-making by Government of Thailand on water-related climate change.

I have been collaborating with my Thai colleagues for more than two decades in the field of hydrology and water resources. In late 1980’s, Prof. Katumi Musiake with Prof. Hiroyoshi Shiigai organized a research team “Hydrology in Humid Tropical Regions in Asia” under UNESCO IHP-IV, and I firstly came to Thailand in October 1989. I’ll never forget my visit in Phitsanulok at that opportunity when I was impressed with beautiful scenery of floating houses at dusk in the Nan River, that are already lost. In 1990s, we had an opportunity working on the field measurements and application of hydro-meteorological knowledge and model predictions for cartier replica watches water resources management under World Climate Research Program/Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (WCRP/GEWEX) Asian Monsoon Experiment (GAME) in Tropic (GAME-T).

The collaboration among researchers from academia and operational agencies both in Thailand and Japan was maintained through a research project “Research and Development of Hydrological Modeling and water Resources System” under JST/CREST Program headed by Prof. Musiake. We had several workshops and symposium to identify what is relevant for a possible future project, and these recommendations were developed.

1. Capacity building in scientific research is one of the most important aspects of the project. More opportunities should be given for not too old (young) researchers in Thai, Japan, and other participating countries; opportunities such as exchange scholar, visiting program, participation to scientific conferences, and field survey.
2. The formation of a new research group consists of not too old (young) scholars in Thailand with strong leadership is required.
3. Further exchange of data and sharing information & idea should be promoted.
4. Publication of a textbook summarizing the latest knowledge about the hydro-climatology in the South-East Asia will contribute for it.
5. Existing facilities, such as GAME-T or monsoon study related mailing list both in Thai and Japan, should be utilized wisely.
6. Application of the latest scientific knowledge to human dimension should be encouraged.
7. One possible target could be the investigation of the “Scientific Basis for Hydro-meteorological Warning System” in short, medium, and long ranges for flood and drought management with the basic understanding of Asian Monsoon System and the latest technology of monitoring and modeling.
8. GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) should have a scope not only for global and globally relevant issues, but regional yet international scale water issues.
   • Help cooperation in international river basins, e.g. Mekong River in the Indochina Peninsula.
9. GAME-Tropics will be one of the suitable test beds for a pilot project promoting water cycle monitoring and implementing the capacity building of research under GEOSS.
   • Disaster, health, energy, climate, water, weather, eco-systems, agriculture, and bio-diversity issues in GAME-Tropics region.
   • Strategic meetings will be held in this year

Then, a pilot study of GEOSS in Thailand supported by Japan EOS Promotion Program (JEPP) of JST successfully carried out in Thailand for 2005 through 2008.

Then, we were very happy to start a new project IMPAC-T since May 2009 under a new framework “Science and Technology Research partnership for Sustainable Development”

(SATREPS), a program implemented jointly by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) that promotes international joint scientific research to address global issues. Since its establishment in 2008, total 78 projects have been implemented under the SATREPS, and we are honored that IMPAC-T is one of the flagship project of the SATREPS.

I hope you will find various valuable information in hydro-meteorology and water resources in the Chao Phraya river basin on this web site.

Prof. Taikan OKI, Ph.D

Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo

http://hydro.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~taikan