Nature Meets Infrastructure: Green-Grey Solutions for Climate-Resilient Water Management in the Yom Nan Basin, Thailand

In Thailand’s Yom-Nan River Basin, more frequent floods and droughts show that canals, floodgates and dikes alone cannot ensure long term water security.

The solution pilots Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) alongside grey infrastructure (engineered, built “hard” measures like concrete embankments, floodwalls, floodgates, and drainage channels used to control water and erosion) at three sites:

wetland restoration at Bueng Jon,
swamp restoration at Bueng Kluay, and
nature-based riverbank stabilisation at Klong Mem.

The interventions restore degraded habitats, improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience of local communities – delivered through four building blocks: stakeholder training, participatory co-design, digital monitoring, and policy dialogue.

Initial results include stronger coordination between agencies and communities, EbA options integrated into sub basin planning, and baseline data to assess long term environmental, biodiversity, and livelihood outcomes.

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