Climate change unit 'needed now'
A national taskforce should be set up to pinpoint the potential adverse consequences of climate change, chairman of the Committee on the National Disaster Warning Administra-tion, Dr Smith Dharmasaroj, says.
Published on November 30, 2007
Speaking at the "Health Security in the Tropics" conference at Mahidol University, Smith said the taskforce should oversee all efforts at natural disaster prevention that are likely to occur in Thailand over the next 20 years, like flooding and drought.
He referred to the climate change scenario produced by Southeast Asia's Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training Centre (START), which predicted Bangkok would be under water in the next 15-20 years. "Time is running out as we have already experienced the impact of global warming. A special team to prepare and cope with climate change is a necessity," he said.
Smith urged all political parties to issue policies covering natural disasters from global warming to mitigate problems that would affect the nation.
"I have not seen any political parties issue a policy on how they would tackle natural disasters from global warming," he said.
About 200 scientists, medical workers and policy makers attended the conference.
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
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