Post-Flood Recovery from a Legal Perspective

Abstract

Thailand has continuously faced flooding due to its low-lying geographical characteristics, rapid urban expansion, improper land-use practices, and the impacts of climate change. Flood events have caused extensive damage to lives, property, the economy, society, infrastructure, and natural resources. Therefore, systematic recovery efforts are required in the short, medium, and long terms, in accordance with the principle of “Build Back Better and Safer.” Such recovery includes providing assistance to affected populations, repairing damaged infrastructure, restoring economic systems, rehabilitating the environment, and enhancing community resilience and adaptive capacity.

In the legal dimension, post-flood recovery requires the integration of several laws, such as the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act B.E. 2550 (2007), the Water Resources Act B.E. 2561 (2018), and the Town and City Planning Act B.E. 2518 (1975), as well as laws concerning human rights and public financial administration. These laws define the authority, duties, and roles of government agencies, local administrative organizations, and other relevant sectors in areas such as recovery operations, compensation mechanisms, risk-area regulation, budget allocation, the protection of victims’ rights, and measures to prevent recurring disasters. Key agencies—including the National Water Resources Office, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and local administrative organizations—play essential roles in both area-based and policy-level recovery.

However, recovery efforts continue to face several challenges, such as insufficient budgets, lack of coordination among agencies, delays in implementation, and inadequate or outdated information. Consequently, there is a need to develop new laws and measures, including stronger protection of disaster victims’ rights, the establishment of a dedicated post-flood recovery fund, enhanced public and private sector participation, rehabilitation of natural resources, the promotion of innovations in water management, and the creation of transparent and accountable monitoring mechanisms. These improvements are essential to strengthening long-term recovery effectiveness, achieving sustainability, and enhancing preparedness for future disasters.