Social dynamism of farmer irrigation management : a case study of Muang-Fai systems in Klong Tabo Watershed, Thailand | |
| Author | Prasert Rangkla |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.NR-04-05 |
| Subject(s) | Irrigation farming--Thailand Irrigation--Thailand--Management |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. NR-04-05 |
| Abstract | Thailand has experienced the rapid economic development and social changes since the first application of national social and economic development plan in 1961. The agricultural production activities have been intensively extended in order to meet the dramatically increased population and consumption. Such economic growth has resulted in the natural resources degradation including water-related situations. Water has become one of the most controversial natural resource management issues since the last decade. Several areas throughout the country have encountered with water insufficiency, water shortage and conflict problems. A number of fiscal budgets from the central government were allocated to develop and improved the water availability, especially in the rural area where the majority of Thai population lives. On the other hand, local farmers also have established and performed their own-managed irrigation systems. Therefore, the exploration in the interrelations between the internal and external and the resulted performance would reveal the existing pattern of social dynamic in irrigation water management. That will lead to the relationship improvement for achieving the common goal of life quality development. This research study was carried out in the small sub-watershed boundary called Klong Tabo Watershed, in Petchabun Province Thailand, in order to understand the existence, the social relations and the performance of farmer-managed irrigation management in the changing sociopolitical and economic conditions. The site selection was based on the coexisting availability of locally managed irrigation systems and the state intervention in irrigation development. This thesis investigates in the fundamental contextual conditions influencing the water utilization, especially the agricultural production patterns and market channels. Local farmer-managed irrigation systems were historically studied in their organizational arrangement. The study, then, focused to the social relationships between farmer irrigation organizations and other social agents and then explored the current adaptive performance of farmer irrigation systems in the changing contexts of the watershed. The thesis found the watershed has had a total of 18 maung fai systems (MFS) supplying irrigation water to the estimated 9,000 rai. All irrigation systems are totally operated by the farmer groups called muang fai organizations or MFO. MFO performed the collective activities as the self-reliant and the trans-boundary productive organization until the more external intervention in the 1980's. In the earlier stage of interrelations, the social relations in water development were highly centralized to the central government. Water development projects tended to have low efficiency and outcomes. Since the late 1990's, local governments have received more administrative authorities, which have created the positive opportunity to MFO in participating into the decision making process, while some disadvantages are required to be further improved. In the practice level, diverse worldviews compete currently to one another in the arena of water resources development. In the changing socioeconomic contexts, MFO has adapted its collective action toward more compacted and mechanized. From the deep investigation of two MFS case studies, Fai Thungsamkop System, as the less intervened from state assistance, has higher irrigation management capacity than another highly supported system; Buchanuan Reservoir System. The later system has encountered a number of difficulties in irrigation management, due to less involvement of local water user group in development projects and its MFO expresses concerns to water distribution and allocation problems. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-04-05 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Natural Resources Management (NRM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shivakoti, Ganesh P. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Schmidt-Vogt, Dietrich; Sajor, Edsel |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Her Majesty Queen Scholarship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |