- DatesOctober 2018-September 2021
- Funded£435,081
- PartnersCentre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH, UK), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand) and Chiang Mai University (Thailand)
Drought is the world's costliest natural disaster, and its frequency and severity are increasing in both developed and developing countries. In recent years, droughts have been the most frequent natural disaster in Thailand and have therefore become the climate phenomenon of greatest concern. The water-dependent agricultural sector is particularly sensitive to drought, being severely affected in recent events.
Since drought is a slowly evolving natural disaster, its negative impacts can be mitigated through effective monitoring and warning, together with tailored communication for stakeholders, allowing a more proactive approach to their management. The lack of comprehensive hydrometeorological and socioeconomic databases in Thailand remains a crucial gap in research. Furthermore, insufficient attention has been paid to drought communications, and the content and timeliness of the information that is shared between decision makers and disseminated to the public.
The STAR project will:
- Engage stakeholders in informing and co-designing drought monitoring practices, ensuring collaboration during and post project;
- Develop new drought monitoring and characterisation indicators for Thailand based on stakeholders' needs;
- Improve understanding of drought impacts on agriculture and assess adaptive capacity in a case study catchment;
- Increase drought resilience and capacity through better communication of drought risks and associated impacts.
Find out more about the project on the .
