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

This study evaluates Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in Thailand from 2011 to 2013 by deploying the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) evaluation criteria. Special attention is placed on disaster-related development assistance activities of Japan through reviewing long-term impacts of the projects. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has played a crucial role in transferring Japan's experiences on disaster risk management to developing countries, including Thailand. The study highlights two flood risk management projects in Thailand with the support of 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 case studies demonstrate that the projects were efficiently and effectively conducted for meeting Thailand's needs and requirements. JICA provided multi-hazards risk analysis through scientific data as well as local knowledge. However, achievements of the project did not last for long because of a lack of Thai stakeholders' commitment and JICA's post-project management. It is concluded that a development agency should consider impacts and sustainability of flood risk management projects more carefully from the stage of planning, and the practical application of the knowledge, and technologies should also be monitored progressively after the completion of the project.