Disaster management and preparedness must begin with monitoring, risk assessment and systematic emergency planning, rather than focusing solely on responding to emergencies, according to Professor Dr Somporn Chuai-Aree, director of the Office of Academic Resources at Prince of Songkla University.
As weather patterns become increasingly difficult to predict accurately and natural disasters grow more severe, the application of scientific data, technology and innovation can help improve the accuracy of disaster warnings and strengthen preparedness, he said.
Public participation and cooperation among relevant agencies are also essential to reducing losses and strengthening community resilience, Dr Somporn said.
He noted that effective disaster management requires the integration of scientific and technological data with local knowledge, alongside public participation. Disasters do not occur only during office hours, and each area has different levels of risk and varying capacities to respond.
He also stressed that weather forecasts must be easy for the general public to understand and clearly identify areas at risk.
This is particularly important in Thailand, which lies in the tropics and experiences highly variable weather conditions, he said. Weather forecasts and warnings must take geographical differences into account and avoid covering areas so broadly that residents cannot properly assess the risks they face.
