Questions/Answers

Colluvium deposits and landslides are critical issues that occur in Doi Chang Village, Moo 3, Wawi, Mae Suai, Chiang Rai. This is a problem that affects an area with more than 1,200 households in regard to safety, loss of lives and property damages. For instance; structural damages on buildings and utility systems, because the area is vulnerable to natural disasters. Additionally, the Wawi District Administration was not able to gain public cooperation to evacuate from high risk areas because the areas are vital to the residents’ livelihood. Therefore, the residents are forced to live facing the risk of landslides. The other issue with the area concerns zoning. The area in question is a forest reserve making it complicated for many agencies and organizations to offer help or enforce laws. There are areas like these all over Thailand. Such challenges prompted the Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization), ARDA and National Research Council of Thailand, NRCT along with community network parties to find ways to fix the issues by utilizing academic knowledge to integrate in community collaboration for solutions. By using the success of the innovative landslide warning system to alert any possible disaster to minimize loss and damages, and to watch and prepare for landslide disasters through training. This helps residents to handle any sudden landslides themselves, especially for residents in areas not conducive to evacuation. Therefore, a system must be developed to warn residents residing in high-risk areas. This module can be implemented to other affected areas or even in other countries.

The project is aligned with Category 2 – as the project is a solution for residents of the area. To create acceptance and understanding, academic knowledge is crucial and leads to researches and the creation of a Landslide Watch and Monitoring prototype. Test Installation of the warning system in the landslide-prone area of Doi Chang and along with the consideration of the continuity and sustainability to monitor the results. This is done by educating the residents of the area to better prepare themselves in living in a landslide-prone area safely and minimizing the number of deaths and damages to properties.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System is in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 11.5 to ensure that residents can live in vulnerable areas safely; that the number of people affected, property damages and number of deaths are significantly reduced by making sure that all the 1,200 households can live-track landslide situations and be equipped and self-reliant when faced with sudden landslides.

Results of installation and test of communal alarm system in Doi Chang village has a substantial social economic dimension. The collection of scientific data of landslide behavior is a real occurring event and all agencies involved receive real-time, accurate information and can offer suitable help as well as legal assistance collectively. Also, the knowledge can be used in other areas facing similar problems and, more importantly create long-term sustainable solutions. The impact in the environmental aspect – government agencies will have access to the collected data and the situation of landslide problems in the northern part of the country.

Landslide surveillance system is crucial to the area as it is a proven tool to reduce property damage and number of deaths for over 1,200 families in Doi Chang, Wawi, Mae Suai, Chiang Rai. With the cooperation of government agencies (the Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization), the National Research Council of Thailand, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Administration Office, Wawi Subdistrict Administration and Ban Doi Chang School), academics (Kasetsart University) and civil social organization (Modchanapai Foundation) and other community networks to efficiently reach a mutually desirable outcome in educating the community regarding the preparation and evacuation from landslide disasters.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System is an integral part in building equality and fairness to people of all backgrounds regardless of gender, age, religious beliefs, disabilities and population groups, to be able to access landslide monitoring updates both offline and online in a timely manner. Also, to receive assistance as per evacuation plans fairly and thoroughly.

The target group of the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System, is the 1,200 households residing in the landslide-prone areas of Doi Chang and has been positively affected by the program especially those living in areas with extreme case of colluvium deposits – who have to evacuate. This comprises of approximately 30 households who are most directly affected should a landslide disaster occur in which the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System will significantly reduce the number of deaths as well as economic losses of the residents of the area. Additionally, in 2020 in order to ensure continuity of landslide disaster relief in the landslide-prone areas of Doi Chang, the research project will continue the expansion of its research area. Financially supported by the Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization) in respect to sustainably regulate structural problems by designing surface drainage rails and underground drainage systems to reduce the effects of soil movements in the rainy season by creating a groundwater pumping system together with a water filtration system to combat drought problems simultaneously.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System is an innovative result of a research project started in 2015-2016 in which a study was conducted on the problems and how they affect the people within the community as well as the behavior of colluvium deposits at the top most area of the Doi Chang Village which lead to the development of the remote warning box. In 2017-2019, the prototype of the Landslide Warning System was developed as well as test installations of the Warning System in Doi Chang, with a focus on a user-friendly design. Community feedback was recorded and taken into account throughout the development of the Warning System. As for the monitoring and evaluation process, throughout the research project, ARDA along with NRCT and KU received help and cooperation from residents in the Doi Chang area – in corroborating useful information, being part of interviews, community forums as well as exchanging and sharing opinions and ideas. There is public participation from the start of the design process, all the way to implementation. The key step in the success of the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System that is apparent amongst the residents of Doi Chang is the culture of acceptance and the tangible utilization of the Landslide Warning System. 1) Remote Warning Box for sending and receiving radio signal (offline mode) to combat the possible compromised phone signal interference during heavy rainfall in the river source areas. 2) An Application called “LandslideWarning.Thai” on smart phones (online mode) is a two-way communication form, both on iOS and Android operation systems to watch and monitor landslide disasters with live data updates and processes for statistical analysis. In 2020 (during research continuation) the process of sustainably regulating structural problems will start by the designing of surface drainage rails and underground drainage systems.

Doi Chang Village is classified as watershed class 1 or a river source, which translates to a major obstacle in obtaining legal permission to construct permanent structures. This requires a solution by creating awareness for all sectors involved through discussion processes between units to find possible approaches. Moreover, using the strategies of the committee of Soil and Water Conservation and ministry-level approaches to allow multi-sector brainstorming – provincial, departmental and ministerial levels – to consider landslide disasters collectively.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System created the prototype of a landslide alarm system that can be used offline, online and as a two-way communication platform. The goal is to not leave anyone behind. The Landslide Watch and Monitoring is easy to learn and use. The system is not complex, and maintenance and repair can be done at home, such as the replacement or charging of the battery. Additionally, the application “LandslideWarning.Thai” is now being used for warnings all over the country and is in the process of being adapted to be used in Myanmar and Srilanka.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System is a development of the original system, also known as, the Community’s Landslide Watch System which comprises of a Remote Warning Box that only works offline. This has prompted the creation of the “LandslideWarning.Thai” application to be used online as a source of landslide disaster data to alert residents (directly) and others or tourists (indirectly) on smart phones both for iOS and Android operating systems, with a user-friendly interface and an all-time fast data processor compared to the original system.

The Landslide Watch and Warning System has been adapted, installed and tested as a communal alert system in other areas, for instance: - Khao Luang National Park and the district of Nopphitam, Nakhon Si Thammarat. A watershed area that is severely affected by landslides and debris flow. The Department of Mineral Resources has categorized Khao Luang National Park and the district of Nopphitam to be high-risk areas that are in immediate need of assistance. - Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, Krabi has already allocated budget for a landslide watch system. Furthermore, The Krabi Governor’s Office understands and gives importance to the issue and added the equipment installation and evacuation rehearsals into the province’s urgent action plan. - Countries in the ASEAN region such as Japan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have shown interest and participated in the learning opportunities from the success of this research together with The ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organization (AFEO).

Initiative been transferred

Landslide Watch and Monitoring System has a cost of 1.76 million baht for the research process and for academic and social continuation. Initial relief funds are made available by the government and civil society (Modchanapai Foundation) both in cash and in kind.

Economic Aspect: the gathering of people of the area is a strong support network to assist families after landslide disasters in the form of cash, such as a working fund for building residential buildings suitable for landslide-prone areas, and in kind, such as the labor force of the locals to repair the damages of homes and public roads. Organization Policy Aspect: The Disaster Watch and Management Committee of Chiang Rai was founded through communal, local and provincial cooperation.

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External evaluation was conducted by the Public Policies Studies Institute by assessing the benefits of the project in the year 2019, when it is estimated that the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System can be fully implemented. The benefits of the project to the residents of Doi Chang have been taken into consideration separately.

Indicators of the external evaluation are as follows: 1) the valuation of preserved lives of residents of Doi Chang 2) the valuation of preserved properties of residents of Doi Chang 3) the budget for road repairs that the Wawi District Administration saves.

The results of the evaluation include monetary benefits with two parties of stakeholders. 1) Residents of Doi Chang: Specifically residents of severe landslide-prone areas – approximately 30 households – who will benefit directly once the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System is in use. - The valuation of preserved lives, if a landslide disaster happens during the day will equal 9.72 million baht per annum. If the disaster happens during nighttime, the valuation of preserved life will equal to 24.30 million baht per annum. - The valuation of preserved properties will equal 450,000 baht per annum. 2) Wawi District Administration: Road repair budget to be saved: Situation 1: (with groundwater drainage system) will equal to 520,000 baht per annum. Situation 2: (with no groundwater drainage system) the Wawi District Administration will not benefit from the project since without a groundwater drainage system, the roads of Doi Chang will still be damaged from the movement of deep surface soil or landslides and will still need budget allocation for road repairs.

The Landslide Watch and Monitoring System comprises of the collaboration of these parties: 1. Government Agencies - ARDA and NRCT have provided financial support for the fruition of the project. - Wawi District Administration is the on site unit and the center for news and updates as well as an evacuation shelter. - Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Chiang Rai and Chiang Rai Administration Office are the provincial policy-making units and tasked to announce risk areas. - Ban Doi Chang School will educate fundamental knowledge regarding natural disasters to the community. - The Community Organization Development Institute (Public Institution) works at the policy level within the area in regard to budget allocations of home repairs, assistance to relocate and evacuate. 2. Academic Organization - The Geotechnical Engineering Research and Development Center, Engineering Department, Kasetsart University as researchers and project implementors. 3. Civil Society Organizations - Community network – collection of locals who volunteer to help disaster victims including fully cooperating with the research project. - Modchanapai Foundation – a foundation of on-site operations and structural engineering consulting. - ThaiPBS as the media channel through which communal understanding is communicated.

The cooperation of role realization mechanisms can be attributed to how each stakeholder is represented. Once the stakeholders pooled in their respective expertise, a wise and realistic decision-making process is achieved for the most targeted results. The stakeholders include: Central Administration Level: ARDA with funding from NRCT aligned with the government’s policy to urgently resolve the issue of landslide disasters by the Geotechnical Engineering Research and Development Center, KU. The Provincial Level consists of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Administration Office, Wawi Subdistrict Administration Organization, Ban Doi Chang School, Modchanapai Foundation and the community network. Every party, together, worked towards the development of a proactive landslide disaster management innovation which comprised of several working models that prompted the birth of the “Doi Chang Model”. This created a learning process to relay knowledge about disasters and guidelines for the people living in high risk areas. Moreover, all stakeholders are involved since the inception of the planning process to the decision-making process. This makes for sound judgment. The stakeholders not only understand their common goals but are responsible for any decision made and internalize the common ownership which drives the implementation of the decisions.

The main lesson derived is the participation within the community and the creation of the learning process in regards to landslide disaster behavior, guidelines on what to do in preparation of landslide disasters through the alarm system installed within the community, so as to quickly and efficiently evacuate, to safety Lessons that are integrated into fundamental learning at the Doi Chang School to create a Community Based System Dynamics with trusts between government agencies and the community without resistance or conflict. The project development plan is to create an integrated plan to concretely solve the problem and is in the process to be presented as a national level policy - To create evacuation routes where responsible agencies could integrate and consider the route and traffic flow as per evacuation plans. - Construction of suitable buildings in high risk areas. - Expansion of the Landslide Watch and Monitoring System prototype to other areas. - Integrated problem solving from all sectors (government, academic, civil society and media) by starting with equal information consumption and joint coordinating mechanisms at all levels.