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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />At the request of the Royal Thai Governme~nt, an interdisciplinary team of <br />four scientists from the United States visited Thailand from 7-26 September <br />1986 to conduct a weather modification assessment for the Kingdom of <br />Thail and. Thi s assessment focused on the! program of the Royal Rai nmaki ng <br />Research and Development Institute (RRRDI) of the Ministry of Agriculture <br />and Cooperatives and the supporting activities of cooperating organiza- <br />tions. Preparation of the assessment was supported with funds provided by <br />the Emerging Problems of Development Project II (493-0341) which is jointly <br />administered by the Department of Technic:al and Economic Cooperation <br />(DTEC), National Economic and Social DeVE!lopment Board (NESOB), and the <br />United States Agency for International De!velopment (USAIO). <br /> <br />Overvi ew <br /> <br />Since the late 1960's under the direction of His Majesty King Bhumipol <br />Adulyadej,scientific and technical organizations in the Kingdom of <br />Thailand have been involved with the design and implementation of a series <br />of experiments and operational programs to increase rainfall through <br />weather modification for agriculture, pO\Ol,er generation, pollution control <br />and drinking water supplies. His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej has <br />played a key role in the development of p1rogram concepts and provided great <br />inspiration to all personnel involved in the program. A national scale <br />program of weather modification began in 1971 and was formalized through <br />the establishment of the Royal Rainmakin~, Research and Development <br />Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in 1975 with <br />Dr. M. R. Debriddhi Oevakul as its director. <br /> <br />Thailand's present commitment to weather modification is substantial. <br />Rainmaking projects have been operated for 15 years and the annual funding <br />level is about $5 million. It is a Royal project and since 1975 there has <br />been an organized operating institution, the RRRDI. This Institute has a <br />staff of over 200 persons, sizable facilities and extensive equipment. <br />This Institute provides a basis for further institutional development <br />through training, technical assistance, and upgrading of equipment to <br />enhance scientific and management capabilities. <br /> <br />Relevant to the RRRDI functions is an Advisory Boar'd composed of admi- <br />nistrators, scientists, and engineers from key Government agencies and uni- <br />versities concerned with weather and water resources. This Board monitors <br />and helps enhance the program of RRRDI, fosters interagency cooperation, <br />and is essential to assure an interdisciplinary approach to the program of <br />the Institute. <br /> <br />10 <br /> <br />J~ <br /> <br />'" <br /> <br />Existing Thai data bases in climate, watE!r, and agriculture are sizable and <br />largely computerized, an advantage to des;ign and feasibility studies <br />required in the planning of scientific wE!ather modification projects. The <br />pool of well-trained agricultural and hydrological scientists is large and <br />several have expressed interest in future involvement in a scientifically- <br /> <br />i <br />