The Thorn Friends team opened a forum. "Fire, Dust, Drought, Water: A Compound Disaster." These issues are interconnected in a domino effect, directly impacting all sectors and warning Thailand to respond swiftly.
On 23 July 2026 at SCBX Next Stage, 4th floor, Siam Paragon, a forum was held. "Fire, Dust, Drought, Water: A Compound Disaster." Organized by the Thorn Friends team and Associate Professor Dr. Thorn Thamrongnawasawat to raise awareness and prepare for escalating environmental crises.
The event featured knowledge exchanges from national academics and experts including. Associate Professor Banjong Sombunchai from the Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, Maejo University. He leads a sustainable forest tree project with Singha Volunteers, planting trees in areas formerly affected by wildfires, achieving survival rates over 90%.
Alongside. Associate Professor Mallika Srisutham, Department of Soil Science and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University. She works on Singha Volunteers’ sustainable community water sources project in 10 locations in Isan, providing year-round water supply to villagers, and Associate Professor Dr. Phoyom Saraphirom from the Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, an expert in sustainable water management, aiming to find. "Solutions and adaptation strategies." For both communities and businesses before these compound disasters cause irreversible damage.
Currently, the world has moved beyond the era of. "Global warming" into a full-fledged "Global boiling" phase. The global average temperature is nearing the critical 2 degrees Celsius threshold, potentially triggering a major tipping point in the climate system, leading to intensified natural disasters through Climate Amplification—interlinked cascading crises.
One such phenomenon is. Super El Niño, a key factor accelerating volatile weather, heat accumulation, and severe droughts in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, resulting in interconnected disasters forming a domino effect. This is the "Fire, Dust, Drought, Water: Compound Disaster". It directly affects every sector:
Associate Professor Banjong Sombunchai from the Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, Maejo University, said, "For the sustainable tree project with Singha Volunteers, we have worked directly in wildfire-affected areas, with continuous hands-on efforts resulting in 80-90% tree survival by selecting native species suited to the ecosystem. We establish firebreaks and apply knowledge from Chulalongkorn University’s Science Faculty on mycorrhizal fungi to improve water and mineral absorption by trees.
We also formed community patrol teams that not only help preserve nature but also instill awareness and empower villagers to protect forests sustainably. This project restores wildfire-affected forest areas and revives the headwater forest environment to its richness."
Associate Professor Mallika Srisutham, Department of Soil Science and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, stated, "Since collaborating with Singha Volunteers from 2020 to present, we have seen nine community water sources using the 'father pond-mother pond' model—a connected water storage network—that transformed dry areas into year-round water supplies. These ponds also retain water during floods, providing villagers with drinking water, irrigation, and fishery resources. Expanding community water sources will enable sustainable self-reliance and reduce El Niño impacts."
During Session 1 Special Talk, Associate Professor Dr. Thorn Thamrongnawasawat delivered a lecture titled "Climate Amplification Disaster When the World Warms by 2 Degrees," explaining the unprecedented severity of Super El Niño, analyzing global temperature change effects on Thailand, and proposing structural preparedness measures.
Meanwhile, Session 2 Panel Discussion gathered experts from Maejo and Khon Kaen Universities to analyze the "Fire, Dust, Drought, Water" crisis. , They explored impacts on forests, health, agriculture, communities, and sustainable water management, offering adaptive strategies and resource management models for practical application to strengthen readiness across sectors against climate change challenges and mitigate escalating future compound disasters.
