“Yotsanan–Bunthida” joins forces with 4 agencies to launch “Water One Map” eliminating data discrepancies and introducing a centralized early warning dashboard

Today (15 September 2026) at 11:00 AM, at Naree 2 Room, Naree Samosorn Building, Government House, Prof. Dr. Yotsanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), together with Ms. Bunthida Somchai, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), presided over the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among four key agencies to accelerate the creation of the “Water One Map.”

Prof. Dr. Yotsanan stated that this collaboration stemmed from field operations managing the flood situation in Nan province. A critical gap was identified: Thailand’s warning systems relied on fragmented and inconsistent data across agencies, leading to delays in decision-making.

“The most difficult part was not issuing orders but answering simple questions where the water would flood, how high it would rise, and how many hours it would take to arrive because the data from each agency did not match. Today, we must create the ‘Water One Map’ so that every agency sees the same picture, uses the same map, and communicates the same message to the public, rather than issuing warnings independently and leaving it to the public to guess whom to believe," said Prof. Dr. Yotsanan.

Ms. Bunthida added that the significance of this collaboration lies in the fact that "this MOU marks the first step toward consolidating critical data from across the country. Once the data is ready, it will enable timely preparation and personnel mobilization, allowing the state to intervene and assist citizens promptly, thereby minimizing damage." This signing ceremony represents a cross-ministerial effort to integrate data on meteorology, geoinformatics, water conditions, and Big Data/AI into the National Water Data Repository. The public can now monitor the situation via a centralized warning dashboard at ระบบเตือนภัยล่วงหน้าแห่งชาติ (National Early Warning for All) | คลังข้อมูลน้ำแห่งชาติ - Thaiwater.net

The four key agencies have clearly defined their roles as follows: 1. Thai Meteorological Department (TMD): Provides observational data, weather forecasts, and radar information, and serves as the primary agency for issuing official warnings regarding storms and heavy rainfall. 2. Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA): Supplies satellite imagery, geoinformatics data, and monitoring for hotspots and PM2.5 levels to assess risk areas. 3. Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII): Provides water level and volume data from automatic telemetry stations, assesses areas requiring rainfall monitoring 24–48 hours in advance, and consolidates data into the National Water Data Repository. 4. Big Data Institute (BDI): Responsible for developing analysis systems and dashboards, managing data in accordance with governance principles, and applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support disaster management.

In closing, Prof. Dr. Yotsanan emphasized that the ultimate goal is not merely to possess the largest volume of data or the most advanced technology. It is the ability to detect risks sooner and conduct comprehensive analyses, enabling the public to evacuate and prepare in time before the floodwaters arrive thereby ensuring the long-term safety and security of people's lives and property.