Professors urge stronger safeguards against earthquakes and climate threats

Thailand needs stronger safeguards against earthquakes and climate threats, Thammasat University academics warned at a seminar on disaster preparedness and resilience.

The university held the seminar, titled “Designing Resilience: Technology Solutions for Disaster Preparedness in an Era of Climate Uncertainty,” on Friday. Researchers from four faculties and institutes discussed the country's exposure to seismic and climate risks, including the potential for a major earthquake to affect Bangkok.

Prof Nakhon Poovarodom of the Faculty of Engineering said the Sagaing Fault is one of the world's longest active faults and remains a concern because of its proximity to Thailand. The fault produced strong tremors centred in Myanmar last year that were felt through Bangkok and caused extensive damage. Historical records indicate that a previous major earthquake occurred during the reign of King Rama III, roughly 180 years ago.

Nakhon said the latest earthquake began along the central segment of the fault, where scientists estimate major events recur about every 200 years. Greater attention should now go to the southern segment, he said, because an earthquake there could hit Bangkok more severely as it is closer to the city. He also urged stricter enforcement of building safety standards.

Other academics pointed to additional gaps. Assoc Prof Teerayut Horanan of Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology said preparedness and early-warning systems were crucial. Assoc Prof Manat Sritanavit of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning highlighted projections that Bangkok's temperatures could rise by as much as 5C by 2100. Assoc Prof Amornkamon Jirasorn of the Faculty of Science and Technology said Thailand needed better country-specific data and described work to expand the national earthquake database and install vibration-monitoring equipment in risk-prone areas. The warnings came as Thailand continued to record minor earthquakes, including a magnitude-2.4 tremor at a depth of 5 kilometres in Phayao's Pong district.