Dr. Mogens, who served as Associate Professor of Hydrology and Water
Resources as a seconded faculty member at AIT from 1984-86, strongly
advocated the creation of what he called a Ministry of Water Assets
that could ensure a synchronisation of development objectives with
management issues. Policy, institutions and instruments have to work
towards achieving social, economic and sustainable objectives, he said.
This will ensure a proper interface of water with natural hazards,
transportation, people, energy, nature, industry and food.
While tracing the route of the water-related issues during the past
five decades, Dr. Mogens mentioned that the trend is towards creating
networks rather than treating these issues in an isolated box. He
postulated a “Waterbox” comprising of five elements including
computers, mobiles with GPS systems, applications, Internet of Things,
and robots and drones, which interacts with a “PeopleBox” that includes
another set of elements, namely, internet of ideas, social information
networks, new learning, new economics and new laws and regulations.
This will help us move from an Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) towards a River Basin Asset Management (RBAM), he
concluded.
Dr. Mogens was introduced by Dr. Apichart Anukularmphai, President of
the Thailand Water Resources Association and Member of the AIT
Executive Committee. Informing the audience about the Asian Water
Academy (AWA), Dr. Apichart said that he felt privileged to have been
part of the establishment of AWA, which is the first such academy in
the region, and aims to be a leader on water issues within the ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC). AWA was established by eight founder members,
including AIT on 10 June 2015.
Describing Dr. Mogens as an authority on water, AIT President Prof.
Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai welcomed him back to AIT. Highlighted the
significance of the DAF Seminar Series, Prof. Worsak said:. “Whenever I
meet people who had served at AIT, they always volunteer saying that
they wanted to help AIT.” The DAF Seminar series in one way in which
former AIT faculty members can continue their engagement with the
Institute.
This was the Second DAF Seminar organized at AIT, which was launched
on 28 August 2015.
A copy of the seminar presentation is available at this link.
