Evaluation of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Projects on Flood Risk Management in Thailand

Abstract

This study evaluates Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in Thailand regarding flood risk management from 2011 to 2013. The study highlights two flood risk management projects in Thailand with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) after the 2011 floods, namely the Project for the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan for the Chao Phraya River Basin and the Project for Flood Countermeasures for Thailand Agriculture Sector. The SFDRR is deployed for evaluating the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities and the OECD evaluation criteria for assessing planning, implementation, and result of the projects. The JICA tailored technology transfer and capacity building for Thailand’s needs and priorities through both scientific data and local knowledge. Achievements of the project did not last for long because of a lack of Thai stakeholders’ commitment and JICA’s post-project management. The responsible Thai entities did not follow up the formulation of the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) plans provided by the JICA, and there were no CBDRM plans retained in rural areas after the 2011 Floods. It is concluded that a development agency should consider impacts and sustainability of flood risk management projects more carefully at the stage of planning, and the practical application of knowledge, and technologies should also be monitored progressively after the completion of the project.