Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Floods Thailand'

Through the bifocal-conceptual lens of political ecology and pragmatism, this thesis aims at capturing qualitatively the complexity of flood hazard and the expansion of the range of adaptation choice in Thailand. By investigating the perception of risk and the processes of adaptation within the local Thai context, it presents findings from fieldwork conducted in three communities (suburban, desakota and rural) in Central Thailand. This research helps define pathways to an expanded range of choice for flood management in Thailand. Empirical data suggest that although the residents and local officials view flooding as an unwelcome normal occurrence, changes in people’s lifestyles in a modern society have altered how they perceive flooding. Depending on the areas, elements such as political conflicts and climate change have, in addition, weakened local flood response mechanisms. In its attempts to deal effectively with flooding, even after the 2011 Mega- Flood, the government has been inclined towards resorting to technological fixes and has been favouring policies meant to generate wealth for offsetting losses. Larger social, economic, political, historical, and cultural aspects have mostly been ignored. Participants, however, incorporate these elements into their responses and tend to perceive a wide array of choices. These findings suggest that amid the changing landscape, the locals are not passive. They have been using numerous strategies to help them adapt to flood events. However, several socio-cultural factors hinder them from expressing their views and force them to adopt limited strategies. To facilitate adaptation, we need to understand the material and discursive elements that shape local flood experiences. This can only be done through public engagement. Indeed, by talking to the participants, it became apparent that in order to expand the range of adaptation choice and to strengthen local resilience, it is important to (i) encourage preparedness and risk awareness; (ii) promote traditional knowledge; (iii) highlight the role of religion; and (iv) strengthen the role of local government.

Due to rapidly changing climate and socio-economic conditions, many coastal areas are becoming increasingly vulnerable to internal and external risks of flooding. Low-lying coastal mega-cities in Southeast Asia are widely recognized as hotspots of flood risk. The Bangkok Metropolitan Region is one of the largest coastal megacities in Southeast Asia that is challenged by the potential impacts of climate change and human activities expected over coming decades. The overarching aim of this research is to evaluate present and future flood risks due to the combined impacts of climate (sea-level, rainfall regime and storm surge) and human (land subsidence and drainage capacity) factors in Bangkok Metropolitan region, Thailand. To design plausible future scenarios, flow and precipitation records were examined using the Log Pearson Type III frequency analysis approach. Land subsidence (LS) and sea level rise (SLR) scenarios were derived from historical records and published studies. Future flood risks (fluvial, surface water, and coastal) were modelled under various combinations of key drivers (SLR, storm surge, LS and increased river flow). The October 2011 flood in Thailand was used as a baseline event for coastal and fluvial flood modelling. Scenarios were designed with projections of LS and SLR to 2050, 2080, and 2100. A two-dimensional flood inundation model (FloodMap) was used to derive coastal inundation depth, velocity and extent associated with each scenario. Coupled modelling of one-dimensional river flow (HEC-RAS) and two-dimensional flood inundation (FloodMap) was undertaken. Surface water flood modelling simulated the 2015 event in model calibration. A two-hour rainfall event that occurred in 2011 was used as the baseline to derive future scenarios with increased precipitation of various return periods and topographies accounting for land subsidence. For each type of flood modelling, sensitivity analysis was first conducted to investigate the effects of mesh resolution and roughness parameters on model predictions. Results indicate that the model is sensitive to both resolution and roughness, but to various degrees, depending on the metrics used in the evaluation. Spatial metrics such as the Root Mean Standard Error, F and point depth are able to distinguish between model predictions and reveal the spatial and temporal derivations between simulations. The impacts of flood risk on critical infrastructure nodes (e.g. power supply, transportation network, rescue centres, hospitals, schools and key government buildings) were then evaluated under various scenarios. Overall, results suggest progressively increased risks of coastal, surface water, and fluvial flooding to critical infrastructures over time from 2050, 2080 to 2100. Flood modelling of coastal and fluvial inundation processes suggests that the combined impacts of individual risk drivers is, in most cases, far greater than any of the individual factors alone. This study demonstrates that flood risks in coastal mega-cities like Bangkok must be evaluated in a holistic manner, taking into account multiple key risk drivers and considering the potential joint-occurrence of various types of flooding. Moreover, where numerical modelling was undertaken and infrastructure data are available, local hotspots of flood risks under various scenarios can be identified, allowing potential adaptation measures to be evaluated within the modelling framework developed. This research is the first to consider multiple flood risk drivers and interacting flood risks within a single modelling framework in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. It will have long lasting legacy for flood risk management in the region and beyond, enabling more effective adaptation in a changing climate through: (i) raised awareness of multiple risk drivers and interacting flood risks for both the public and policy makers; (ii) further and more complete assembly of various data sets when they become available based on the template demonstrated in this study; and (iii) identification of hotspots of critical infrastructure and communities at risk using refined and alternative modelling approaches within the modelling framework developed in this study.

Natural disasters such as flooding often affect vast areas and create infinite demands that need to be addressed in the same time. The wide scopes and severe impacts of such catastrophes often exceed, if not overwhelm, capacity of the national government to handle. In such a situation, communities such as cities and neighborhoods need to rely on their own capacity (resources, strategies, and expertise) to respond to disaster impacts at least until external assistance can be reached. Thus, studying how communities can be resilient to the impacts of natural disasters is important because this would enhance their ability to respond to the next disaster better. Within the context of great flooding in Thailand in 2011, this dissertation investigated the factors that generated or enhanced resilience of flood stricken-communities in Thailand. Nakhonswan City Municipality was selected as the research site. Qualitative research methods were employed in this study. Data were collected using in-depth interview and focus group. Thirty-six participants (28 for in-depth interview and 8 for focus group interview) from various organizations were recruited using snowball and purposive sampling strategies. Interview data from the field research were transcribed, translated from Thai language to English, and then analyzed using open coding and focused coding strategies. Analyses of in-depth interview data revealed eight conceptual themes representing factors that constituted resilience of Nakhonsawan City Municipality, as the leading organization responded to the flood. These factors are: availability of resources for resilience; managerial adaptability; crisis leadership; quality workforce; knowledge sharing and learning; organizational preparedness; organizational integration; and sectoral integration. In addition, findings from the focus group interview with members of three strong neighborhoods found eight factors that helped these neighborhoods respond effectively to the flood crisis. They included: self-reliance; cooperation; local wisdom; preparedness; internal support; external support; crisis adaptability; and pre-disaster social cohesion. This dissertation ended with the discussion of implications, limitations and suggestions for future research.

The work undertaken in this PhD thesis is aimed at the development and testing of an innovative methodology for the assessment of the vulnerability of coastal areas to marine catastrophic inundation (tsunami). Different approaches are used at different spatial scales and are applied to three different study areas: 1. The entire western coast of Thailand 2. Two selected coastal suburbs of Sydney – Australia 3. The Aeolian Islands, in the South Tyrrhenian Sea – Italy I have discussed each of these cases study in at least one scientific paper: one paper about the Thailand case study (Dall’Osso et al., in review-b), three papers about the Sydney applications (Dall’Osso et al., 2009a; Dall’Osso et al., 2009b; Dall’Osso and Dominey-Howes, in review) and one last paper about the work at the Aeolian Islands (Dall’Osso et al., in review-a). These publications represent the core of the present PhD thesis. The main topics dealt with are outlined and discussed in a general introduction while the overall conclusions are outlined in the last section.

High levels of nutrients in tropical coastal areas is a big problem and poses large threats to coral reefs. Therefore this study will focus on nutrient flows from a source perspective. The aim of this study is to identify and quantify the phosphorus and nitrogen emissions from human activities at the island Ko Sak, Thailand. We also investigated possibilities regarding reduction of these emissions. The study was conducted by first identifying the major nutrient emitting human activities during two separate days and then quantifying them one by one. Data was acquired through a combination of personal field observations and literature studies. The following four sources were identified as the most interesting in terms of nutrient emissions: toilet waste on the island, boat sewage, littering (fruit and coconut leftovers) and liquid restaurant waste. The result shows that the sources to the largest phosphorus emissions were littering and toilet waste, while the phosphorus from boat sewage and liquid restaurant waste was lower in comparison. The largest source of nitrogen emissions was toilet waste. In combination with boat sewage they accounted for about 80 % - 90 % of the total nitrogen emissions. The liquid restaurant waste was also in this case very small in comparison and littering completely negligible. The total phosphorus emissions were 514 g/day on April 13 and 438 g/day on May 8 and the total nitrogen emissions were 1750 g/day on April 13 and 1990 g/day on May 8. The two areas identified with largest potential in terms of reducing nutrient emissions were toilet waste and littering due to their relatively large emissions combined with relatively simple flows. Examples of solutions presented is a more controlled toilet waste management system and substituting certain food sold.
Höga halter av fosfor- och kväveutsläpp leder till övergödning och är ett stort problem i kustområden. I kustområden finns koraller som är väldigt känsliga organismer som lätt blir påverkade negativt av små förändringar i omgivningen. Detta gör att koraller även är känsliga mot fosfor- och kväveutsläpp. Koraller är vanligtvis väldigt vackra och lockar därför till sig stora mängder turister som vill se på dem. Thailand är ett land som är väldigt beroende av sin turism men med turismen så kommer också ökade miljöproblem, som övergödning. Den här studien syftar till att identifiera och kvantifiera fosfor- och kväveutsläpp från mänskliga aktiviteter vid ön Ko Sak i Thailand. Vi har också undersökt om det finns några möjligheter att minska utsläppen.Studien har gjorts genom att först identifiera fem olika mänskliga aktiviteter som skulle kunna släppa ut fosfor och kväve och sedan kvantifierat dem genom att ställa upp tio stycken ekvationer. Ekvationerna beräknades genom att samla in data från egna observationer på ön och genom litteraturstudier. Observationerna gjordes på två separata dagar. De mänskliga aktiviteter som identifierades var toalettavfall, avloppsvatten från båtar, nedskräpning, flytande avfall från restaurangen och utsläpp vid förbränning i båtmotorer, där förbränning i båtmotorer ansågs som försumbar. Nedskräpningen bestod till största del av rester från frukt och kokosnötter där utsläppen från kokosnötter stod för den överlägset största delen. I alla fall förutom nedskräpning kvantifierades både fosforutsläpp och kväveutsläpp. I nedskräpning antogs dock att alla kväveutsläpp omvandlades till gas och inte hamnar i vattnet vilket gjorde att den inte heller behövde kvantifieras. Källorna till de största fosforutsläppen var nedskräpning och toalettavfall, vilka stod för ungefär 90 % av utsläppen sammanlagt. Fosforinnehållet i avloppsvatten från båtar och flytande avfall från restaurangen var mycket lägre i jämförelse, endast ca 7 % respektive mindre än 1 % av de totala fosforutsläppen. Av kväveutsläppen så var toalettavfall den aktiviteten med störst utsläpp, på mellan 80 % till 90 %. Även i det här fallet så stod flytande avfall från restaurangen för endast runt 1 % av utsläppen. De totala utsläppen var 514 g fosfor/dag den 13 april och 438 g fosfor/dag den 8 maj. Kväveutsläppen blev 1750 g kväve/dag den 13 april och 1990 g kväve/dag den 8 maj. Utsläppen bedöms vara tillräckligt stora för att kunna ha en påverkan på korallerna. De områden som bedömdes ha den största möjligheten för minskade utsläpp var toalettavfall och nedskräpning. Detta på grund av att de hade stora utsläpp men samtidigt relativt simpla flöden. Två exempel på förändringar som föreslås är att införskaffa ett nytt toalettsystem eftersom att det nuvarande kan bedömas som uttjänat och att byta ut försäljningen av kokosnötter till något annat.

Sustainable development is vital in order for Thailand to continue to develop as in previous years. However, sustainable development cannot be achieved if the amount of macroplastic littering into the oceans does not decrease. In order to facilitate future decision making regarding this issue, this report aims to identify which human activities that contribute the most to the present macroplastic waste items on Thai shorelines. This identification was performed through a simplified material flow analysis based on observations and simple calculations on the island Koh Chang in Ranong. A comparative study was performed on the dissimilar island Koh Larn in Pattaya in order to eliminate any error factors caused by the specific environment on Koh Chang. It was deduced that Grocery Consumption, Fishing and Dining were the Key Activities on the two islands that contributed to the present macroplastic waste. Tourism was also shown to be a great contributor. The study did not find any signs of a current Rate of Accumulation on Koh Chang. However, there were always macroplastic waste items present in the sampling areas which implies that they might pose a threat to the ecosystems. Further research is needed in order to find a suitable solution for this problem.
En hållbar utveckling är central för att Thailand ska kunna fortsätta utvecklas på samma sätt som skett de senaste åren. Hållbar utveckling kan dock inte uppnås om mängden makroplaster som hamnar i haven inte minskar. För att underlätta framtida beslutsfattande ämnar denna rapport att identifiera de mänskliga aktiviteter som i störst utsträckning bidrar till de makroplastföremål som går att finna på thailändska kuststräckor. Denna identifiering utfördes genom en simplifierad materialflödesanalys som baserades på observationer och simpla beräkningar på ön Koh Chang i Ranong. En jämförande studie utfördes på den annorlunda ön Koh Larn i Pattaya för att eliminera felfaktorer som kan ha uppstått på grund av Koh Changs specifika förutsättningar. Studien visade att Livsmedelskonsumption, Fiske, och Restaurangbesök var de Nyckelaktiviteter som bidrog till det befintliga makroplastavfallet. Turism visade sig också vara en stor bidragare till makroplastavfall. Studien kunde inte visa på någon Ackumuleringsgrad på Koh Chang. Trots detta fanns alltid makroplastföremål närvarande i provtagningsområdena på Koh Chang, vilket antyder att dessa föremål skulle kunna innebära ett hot mot ekosystemen. Vidare efterforskningar krävs för att hitta en passande lösning på problemet.

Thailand has been often affected by severe flood events over the past century. The 2011’s Thailand Flood Catastrophe was the costliest in country’s history, and it was ranked to be the second most damaging natural hazard in the world in terms of economic losses. The Chao Phraya River Basin was noted to be the most vulnerable area prone to flooding in Thailand. The dynamics of flood risk in the river basin have changed drastically over the past fifty years. In particular, flood exposure increased due to rapid urbanization and population growth. Since 2012, integrated flood risk management has been addressed to be the major framework of water-related disasters with the goal of losses and damage reductions. However, there is currently little research in Thailand on how to quantify flood risks and mitigate flood inundation damage on the relation between the occurrence of flood events and their consequential socio-economic implications. In this study, a tradition method in flood risk assessment is implemented by integrating 2D hydrodynamic modelling and the assessment of socio-economic impact of floods into the Chao Phraya River Basin. More specifically, the fully 2D version of the LISFLOOD-FP model code was used to model flood inundation processes. The output of the model was then used to map inundation depth and assess the levels of physical/environmental risk associated to flood hazards on multiple receptors/elements at risk. The European Flood Directive and the KULTURisk methodology were applied to quantify flood risks in monetary terms for residential, industrial, and agricultural sectors. The 2011 flood event was used for model calibration, while a hypothetical flood event with a return period of 100 years was simulated to identify the potential flood losses. Depth-damage functions comprising of JRC-ASIA, the Flemish, and JICA models were used to estimate potential damage for residential and industrial structures. The results showed that LISFLOOD-FP could satisfactorily reproduce the flood inundation extent obtained from satellite imagery in 2011. The model performance (Critical Success Index or F1) was of 56%, with a Bias of 112%. The latter meant the total inundated area was 12% larger than flood extent’s observation. Moreover, the model could simulate flood levels with overall Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 2.03 m a.s.l. and 1.78 m a.s.l., respectively. For the estimation of flood damage and losses, the Flemish model showed the strongest agreement with the reported flood damage in the residential sector, while JICA-ASIA model underestimated flood damage for industrial sector by just 1%. The KULTURisk methodology also well-estimated crop losses in the 2011 event which an overestimation about 21% from the reported value. Apart from that, fully 2D numerical method could not perfectly represent 1-in-100 year flood inundation due to non-consideration of important features such as the precise river channel topography, hydraulic infrastructures, and flood protection schemes in the river basin. Lack of such features results in an overestimation of flood damage and losses for 1-in-100 year flood comparing to the national flood hazard map and damage assessment which are simulated and estimated by JICA’s study. Such features can be better handled by using a coupled 1D/2D numerical method in order to simulate flood inundation extent more realistically and estimate flood losses. This could help the Thai government to better prepare a budget for flood risk prevention. In addition, even if the Flemish model indicates a good representation of relative flood damage to housing structures, the government should establish depth-damage curves specific for Thailand.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
國際企業管理組
101
A corporation in oligopolistic market must consider not only strategic positioning and differentiation, but also the competition posture (fierce completive or cooperative) of entire industry when determining competitive strategies. Hard drive industry experienced massive consolidation to form two-large-and-one-small oligopoly situation in 2011. In the meanwhile, the severe floods in Thailand impacted the industry supply chain dramatically. This study aimed to investigate the impact of 2011 floods in Thailand on the competitive situation of hard drive industry. In this study, a large collection of professional media information and interviews of related corporations are applied to analyze the competitive strategies of Seagate and Western Digital during the year and a half after the floods. Also, plenty of related theoretical foundations, such as industry analysis, competitive strategy, game theory, and etc., are used to explore the changes of competitive situation and to predict future industrial trends in hard drive industry. The study found that 2011 Thailand floods made the hard drive prices soar from the bottom. In addition to increasing the profit of hard drive manufacturers substantially, it also created room for agreement among the major hard drive manufactures. The manufactures seized the opportunity to avoid price war and steer into price maintenance strategy. This study suggests that, despite substitution effect from SSD increasing obviously, as long as the tacit agreement goes on, the remaining manufactures will continuously earn sound profit in hard drive industry in the next five years.

This dissertation examines the cross-border flows of media texts, migration and the construction of ethnic identity in the receiving state. It focuses on the recent wave of Shan ethnic nationals from Burma who migrate to seek work in Thailand and their relationships with Shan media -- primarily in the forms of audio cassettes, video CDs, and movies -- that follow these mobile people. My purpose in linking mass media and migration is to understand how displacement shapes the social construction of identity and how Shan ethnic media plays a significant role in shaping identity in a situation of displacement. Based on eighteen months of ethnographic work with the Shan migrant community in Chiang Mai, Thailand, this dissertation argues on two grounds. First, while Shan media shows the ability to cross the borders, and hence disturbs the boundaries of the state, transnational flows are also shaped by the politics and practices of a nation-state. The diversification of Shan media that now include a variety of local, national and transnational as well as commercial and community media illustrates ways in which mass media can offer both a technology of state control as well as parallel spaces for alternative transnational practice. Second, I argue for the need to pay attention to diversity within a migrant population, in particular the presence of various groups of migrants at the same point of time. In trying to understand how different social and material conditions and the history of migration shape the ways people ascribe to ethnic and national identity, this study draws on four different categories of Shan migrants -- the new arrivals, the long-term residents, the ethno-nationalists, and the exile prisoners. Each of these points to different ways of engagement with this media and the different meanings the individuals in each category ascribe to the notion of Shan nation and to what it means to be Shan.
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The exporting of education has become an integral part of the Australian economy and is now Australia's third largest export industry valued at over A$3.2 billion. The impact that these large flows of students into the Australian economy (for significant periods at a time) is having on Australia's bilateral trade relationships with these source countries, is now a pertinent issue. As the literature on immigration flows has identified, social network theory is an important tool in explaining how cross border flows of people can stimulate international trade activity. What impact are overseas students' social networks playing in stimulating trade activity between Australia and their home countries? This research on the economic impact of Thai overseas students on Australia/Thailand bilateral trade flows is a timely study undertaken to answer such questions.