The great flood that hit 36 districts of Bangkok will likely provide a good opportunity for adjusting or adding new water management regulations to Bangkok's new city plan and encourage greater coordination among the city's neighbouring provinces to implement a five-province city plan at the macro level.

The city plan designated open areas as flood ways on two sides of Bangkok _ the west and the east.

Open areas are in two coloured zones _ green for agricultural purposes only and a white with green diagonal stripes zone for rural conservation and agriculture.

New construction in these two coloured zones is limited, with a fewer number of buildings per area in order to have more open space.

In case of flooding, the fewer number of buildings would not block water flow, while the number of properties damaged by floodwater would be low.

The west side in the green zone covers major parts of Thawi Watthana district in northwestern Bangkok close to Nonthaburi to the north and Nakhon Pathom to the west, major parts of Bang Bon and Bang Khunthian and some parts of Nong Khaem.

The green-white diagonal zone on the west side covers four districts including parts of Thawi Watthana, major parts of Taling Chan, some parts of Bang Kae and Phasicharoen. These four areas were adversely hit by the recent flooding.

The east side in the green zone covers most parts of Nong Chok and half the east side of Lat Krabang.

The green-white diagonal zone is in major parts of Klong Sam Wah, Min Buri and Lat Krabang districts. Most of these areas were also flooded.

In the third draft of the new city plan, all of the flooded areas in these zones, preserved for open space to channel water, would remain in the same colour zones as the previous city plan, except for areas in Taling Chan and Bang Kae.

These areas, which the previous city plan set for the green-white diagonal zone, would be in a new colour zone _ yellow with green diagonal lines.

Its land use would change to a low-density residential area as well as rural and agricultural purposes.

The city plan working committee changed them to be in line with actual situation as property development in these areas is currently residential project.

Another reason is the change would support new mass transit development in the future.

However, there is a chance these areas could revert to the earlier colour zone due to the recent flood.

The Bangkok city plan, which expired in May 2011, is being revised for the third time before being submitted to the city plan committee for approval.

Although Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan provinces often teamed up to do each other's city plans, more coordination is expected in order to facilitate better water management at the macroeconomic level.