Buri Ram irrigation project director Kitikul Sepasiraporn said the wetland area was being redeveloped for recreation. People will be able to enjoy nature, including the estimated 100 different bird species that visit, among them the near-extinct Eastern Sarus Crane.

Kitikul said area roads would be improved and the land around the reservoir opened for cyclists and runners.

Construction is 20-per-cent completed and would be finished within two years, he said. The project is a collaboration with the province and agencies under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.