National Water and Climate Data Center
07/09/2019
The National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center (NHC), developed by Hydro – Informatics Institute (HII), is the integration of information from water and weather-related agencies in Thailand. Area-based data, statistical data, water situation, forecasting, and water management-related research data from related agencies are integrated to maximize mutual benefits in managing water resources, controlling all situations, disaster warning, and minimizing life and property loss in a timely manner.
History
The National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center (NHC), developed by Hydro – Informatics Institute (HII), is the integration of information from water and weather-related agencies in Thailand. Area-based data, statistical data, water situation, forecasting, and water management-related research data from related agencies are integrated to maximize mutual benefits in managing water resources, controlling all situations, disaster warning, and minimizing life and property loss in a timely manner.
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej had always been concerned about the water situation in Thailand. His Majesty emphasized on the use of information to support water resource management and decision.
In 1996, His Majesty initiated the collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board (RDPB), and Thailand Research Fund (TRF) to develop a “Thailand Integrated Water Resource Management” project for hydro – informatics management in Thailand. The project was developed by Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII) under National Science and Technology Development Agency (NASDA).
In 1998, HAII started the development of information system and integrate water information of Chao Phraya river basin from 5 government agencies; Royal Irrigation Department, Thai Meteorological Department, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and The National Water Resource Committee (NWRC). The project finished in 2002 and it was used as decision support system for water management and development. This is an important starting point to accelerate the development and usage of information technology in water management in Thailand.
The hydroinformatics data from 5 agencies had delivered to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej through His Majesty’s personal website “Weather901” which was used every day to monitor water situation in Thailand.
One late night, the system that was used to support for “Weather901” was down. Next morning, Dr. Royol Chitradon, Director of HAII, received a phone called from the palace and told him that “His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej had mentioned that his TV is gone”. This story illustrated that His Majesty counted the “Weather901” website as his personal TV.
In 2012, Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII) under Ministry of Science and Technology followed His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s initiative and integrated information from 12 concerned agencies namely Royal Irrigation Department, Thai Meteorological Department, Department of Water Resources, Department of Groundwater Resources, Marine Department, Hydrographic Department, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Land Development Department, and Department of Mineral Resources, to establish “National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center”.
In 2015, HAII has expanded the data network to cover 34 agencies and house 388 dataset, in order to improve monitoring, analyze, and forecast water situation to increase efficiency of water resources management during normal and crisis situation. The 388 dataset from 34 agencies include weather monitoring data such as storm tracking, satellite images, weather forecasting from sea surface temperature, WRF model and water monitoring data such as local rainfall data, dam level, water diagram and drainage of Chao Phraya River, and water level in major river.
In 2019, link, analyze, and process data from 42 agencies in order to maximize mutual benefits in monitoring, analyzing, supporting, and forecasting to provide effective water resources management.
