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Severe flooding that occurred during the 2011 monsoon season in Thailand was the heaviest flooding in the past 50 years. The rainfall over the northern part of Thailand, especially during July-August 2011, was 150 percent higher than average. During the flooding period, river flows of the four major Chao Phraya River tributaries (Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan rivers) increased in the range of 1.4 to 5 times the average discharge. This study examined the river sediment discharge of the four major rivers in the upper Chao Phraya River basin in Thailand. The four rivers are considered the main sources of sediment supply to the Chao Phraya Estuary. River surveys of the Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan rivers were carried out in October 2011 (during the great flood) and October 2012 (one year after the flood). Survey data included river cross sections, flow velocities, suspended sediment concentrations, and bed load transport in each river. Analyses of these data indicated that total sediment transport rates for the four main rivers during the flooding of 2011 were 2.3-5.6 times higher than the average sediment discharge over 60 years. The Flood of 2011 significantly affected the sediment characteristics including the proportions of suspended and bed sediment loads in each river though in different ways. The rates of sediment transport per unit discharge for the Ping and Wang rivers dramatically increased during the 2011 Flood, but the flooding had minimal effects on the sediment characteristics in the Yom and Nan rivers. The amount of total sediment discharge in each river caused by the 2011 flooding varied between 0.3 and 1.6 Mt. Additionally, the bed load transport in these rivers varied between 0% and 26% of the suspended sediment discharge.

The Wang River is one of the major tributaries of the Chao Phraya River (CPR) system in Thailand as the key riverine sediment source supplying the Chao Phraya Delta that has experienced severe shoreline retreat in the past six decades. Historical and observed river flow and sediment data measured during 1929–2019 were used to assess the variation in total sediment load along the Wang River and evaluate the effects of three major dam constructions on sediment supplied from the Wang River to the CPR. Results indicated that sediment loads increased toward downstream. Variation in long-term total sediment load (TSL) along the river suggested that construction of the Kiew Lom Dam in 1972 did not cause a reduction in sediment yield in the Wang River Basin because it impounded less than 20% of the average annual runoff, while the Mae Chang and Kiew Koh Ma Dams caused downstream sediment reduction. These three dams are located in the upper and middle river basins, and their effects on sediment load in the Wang River are ameliorated by additional sediment supplied from the lower basin. Results confirmed that construction of these three major dams in the Wang River did not greatly impact sediment supply from the Wang River to the CPR system. The dam site and sediment load variation along the river are the primary factors controlling the impact of the dam construction.

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Coastal protection measures can be categorized into grey and green solutions in terms of their ecosystem impacts. As the use of grey solutions has become a serious issue due to environmental consequences during the last few decades, green/nature-based solutions have become prioritized. This study evaluates the effectiveness of grey and green solutions applied along the eastern Chao Phraya Delta (ECPD) based on historical shoreline change analysis and coastal observations using Light Detection and Ranging technology. The results from shoreline analysis indicate that nearshore breakwaters installed 100–250 m from the shoreline have successfully reclaimed the coastline with a sedimentation rate of 17–23 cm/y. Meanwhile, sand-sausage-submerged breakwaters were ineffective at stabilizing the coastline during 2002–2010 due to land subsidence. With a low subsidence rate, the rubble-mound-submerged breakwaters can reduce the shoreline retreat rate with a vertical deposition rate of about 5 cm/y. In contrast, use of a bamboo fence, a green solution widely used along muddy coasts, traps sediment at a rate of less than 1.3 cm/y and typically lasts only for 2–3 years after installation. Decomposed bamboo causes environmental degradation so local communities disapprove of the approach. Results reveal that grey solutions are more effective for stabilizing the ECPD coastline and result in less coastal environmental impact than the nature-based solution using a bamboo fence.

Coastal protection measures can be categorized into grey and green solutions in terms of their ecosystem impacts. As the use of grey solutions has become a serious issue due to environmental consequences during the last few decades, green/nature-based solutions have become prioritized. This study evaluates the effectiveness of grey and green solutions applied along the eastern Chao Phraya Delta (ECPD) based on historical shoreline change analysis and coastal observations using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. The results from shoreline analysis indicate that nearshore breakwaters installed 100–250 m from the shoreline have successfully reclaimed the coastline with a sedimentation rate of 17–23 cm/y. Meanwhile, sand-sausage-submerged breakwaters were ineffective at stabilizing the coastline during 2002–2010 due to land subsidence. With a low subsidence rate, the rubble-mound-submerged breakwaters can reduce the shoreline retreat rate with a vertical deposition rate of about 5 cm/y. In contrast, use of a bamboo fence, a green solution widely used along muddy coasts, traps sediment at a rate of less than 1.3 cm/y and typically lasts only for 2–3 years after installation. Decomposed bamboo causes environmental degradation so local communities disapprove of the approach. Results reveal that grey solutions are more effective for stabilizing the ECPD coastline and result in less coastal environmental impact than the nature-based solution using a bamboo fence.