Thai city uses surveillance cameras and web to warn of floods

Hat Yai, southern Thailand's largest city, has assembled an impressive arsenal - from surveillance cameras and online data, to community volunteers – to give residents and businesses early warning of the floods that now threaten some neighborhoods every year.

A floods working group, made up of the government, local companies, civil society and community leaders, has set up surveillance cameras to monitor canals, and has made real-time information on rainfall and water levels available on a website.

It has also helped local communities map the city's water flows, produced a handbook on how to combat floods, and established an insurance fund to help those affected.

Hat Yai's waterways have become obstructed due to urbanization, new construction and modern farming practices including pesticide and herbicide use – and this is exacerbating seasonal flooding.

The city's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with most of its income generated by the rubber, timber, palm oil and fishing industries. Protecting the city from floods is important for all these sectors, as well as for inhabitants.

Hat Yai's flood management programme began in earnest when it was chosen in 2009 to be part of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN), an initiative led by the Rockefeller Foundation, alongside 9 other cities in India, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.