Improving groundwater governance in rapidly urbanizing areas under multiple stresses : the case of Khon Kaen, Thailand | |
| Author | K C, Saurav |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.WM-23-01 |
| Subject(s) | Groundwater--Thailand--Khon Kaen--Management Water-supply--Climatic factors--Thailand--Khon Kaen Urbanization--Thailand--Khon Kaen |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. WM-23-01 |
| Abstract | Groundwater plays a vital role in water security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development of the Lower Mekong Region (LMR). The common-pool resource has a considerable share of domestic, agricultural, and industrial water supply. However, the resource’s effective and efficient management is challenging in the context of increased climatic and non-climatic stresses. Therefore, this study evaluates the current state of groundwater governance in a rapidly urbanizing city, Khon Kaen, Thailand, and recommends strategies to improve governance on an evidence-based understanding of groundwater availability under future stresses. Initially, a new pragmatic framework was developed, which provides Groundwater Governance Index (GGI) ranging from 0-3 (non-existence to optimum). The expert survey results indicated that groundwater governance in Khon Kaen, Thailand is at an acceptable state (GGI = 1.18) from a dimensional perspective with fair provisions of technical resources and regulatory and legal outlines. Then after, the study projected the future changes in four stresses (climate, land use, population, and water demand) to analyze their impact on groundwater level under Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). The results show that the rainfall, temperature, urban land use, urban population, and sectoral groundwater abstraction in Khon Kaen will likely increase in the future, resulting in a decrease in groundwater recharge and groundwater level. The results of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) showed that the groundwater recharge is expected to decrease by 5-10% and 9-15%, and the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model showed that the consequent average decrease in groundwater level is likely to be 0.8-3 m and 1.7-6.3 m under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios respectively. Finally, the study provided strategies to enhance the current provisions and future needs (stakeholder engagement, gender sensitization, cooperation, technical resources, progressive policies, capacity, etc.) based on the prevailing state and likely impact under multiple stresses. The results from the study shall assist policymakers, regulators, groundwater experts, and stakeholders in benchmarking and visualizing the current strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement in the state of groundwater governance and develop suitable strategies for its improvement under multiple future stresses in Khon Kaen, Thailand. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. WM-23-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shrestha, Sangam; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shanmugam, Sundaram Mohana;Salin, Krishna R.;Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | GROUNDWATER-ASIA-HYDRO-ASIA-CCA-GW Projects-SEI/GIRA;Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph. D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |