Bangkok--7 Aug--Asian Institute of Technology
An environmental protection project planned for Thailand by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and World Wide Fund (WWF) Thailand valued at US$ 980,000 has been approved for funding by Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Group Corporate Sustainability (UK).
The AIT-WWF joint proposal titled "Building Capacity and Strengthening Community Participation for Water Resources Management and Wetland Ecosystem Restoration in the Context of Climate Change in Lower Songkhram River Basin” was selected by HSBC from fifteen competitive bids submitted from around the world.
The HSBC Water Sustainability Program will provide funding to the project that will commence on 1 September 2014 and operate until the end of 2016. AIT’s role covers academic research and training, while WWF Thailand will focus on ground level support.
It’s an example of our vigorous push to connect with multinationals, corporate firms and industry, said AIT Fundraising Director Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe, who spearheaded the connection with HSBC.
“AIT’s linkages with the private sector are very important and conducive to showcasing our technical expertise which can be applied to serve industry-specific needs and address societal issues,” he said.
The Songkhram River, located in the Northeast region of the country known as ‘Isan’, is a major tributary of the Mekong River. The river basin region possesses a rich, diverse and dynamic ecosystem that supports a range of economic activities.
According to the project’s principal investigator Assistant Prof. Sangam Shrestha of the School of Engineering and Technology, AIT will be responsible for forecasting climate change scenarios, and assessing the impact of climate change on water availability and water quality in the basin.
In addition, AIT will launch a ‘River Watch Program’ to increase public awareness on water quantity and water quality issues by training HSBC staff and local stakeholders to monitor stream flows and water quality.
“The pattern of seasonal flooding and recession, the range of natural habitats inundated across the Songkhram floodplain and the connections between the flow of the Songkhram and Mekong are fundamental to the productivity of natural resources,” Dr. Shrestha said.
“Any changes to this natural pattern of flooding – whether from development planning, land use changes or climate change – pose risks to the ecosystem and local economies,” he added.
The project is expected to demonstrate exemplary water stewardship practices and processes that balance human water demands and natural hydrologic flows to conserve healthy and resilient basin systems under climate change scenarios.
Photo caption: Dr. Sangam Shrestha (left) and Mr. Sanjeev Jayasinghe