Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

C H A O P H R A Y A R I V E R B A S I N , T H A I L A N D / 3 9 7Chao Phraya River basin are assigned a number of days on whichwater withdrawal is permitted. Provincial authorities areresponsible for enforcing this, and are coordinated by theMinistry of the Interior. Compliance with the water allocationplan is good among the agencies represented on the workinggroup but not among farmers, the central reason for this beingthat farmers can earn more income by planting a second ricecrop in defiance of the plan. There is no enforcement becausedisobeying the water allocation plan is not illegal. Accordingly,efficiency and equity are low.InstitutionsWithin the Prime Minister’s Office there are six boards andcommittees responsible for policy planning and coordination ofwater resources at a national level. In addition, a plethora ofgovernment agencies are involved in managing water resourcedevelopment, use and delivery in Thailand. The three dominantministries, related to water management, include Agricultureand Cooperatives (MOAC), Science Technology and Environment(MOSTE), and Industry (MOI). The regional offices ofgovernment line agencies, provincial governments and localbodies are also involved in water resource development, useand management, while in some areas, farmers have formedstrong water user associations to operate and manage waterwithin local irrigation schemes.National boards and committeesThe principal boards and committees responsible for developingpolicies concerning water resource development, managementand conservation are the National Economic and SocialDevelopment Board (NESDB), the NEB and the NWRC.The presence of three bodies having similar functions leadsto confusion and indecision in implementing water policies,particularly as their relative importance cannot easily bedetermined from their functions and powers. Based on themandates of the three bodies, the NWRC’s responsibility relatesmore directly to water resources than that of the other twoboards, with NEB’s tasks being more relevant to water resourcesthan those of the NESDB. Since NESDB plans are usually quitebroad, more detailed policies and plans are required for eachindividual sector. For example, when considering naturalresources and the environment, the NEB elaborates detailedpolicies and plans within the framework determined by theNESDB plan. By the same token, since the NEB is not able toaddress all detailed policy issues regarding natural resources andenvironment – in particular, water resources – the NWRC shouldprepare more detailed water policies and plans. As a result, theNESDB plan should be considered as a framework for waterpolicies formulated by NEB and NWEC, respectively. It is apparentthat there is some confusion, duplication and lack of clarity andintegration in the development and operation of nationalresource policies and strategies.Regional offices, provincial government and local bodiesAt the provincial level, the Provincial Administration and DistrictAdministration offices (and similar agencies at the localgovernment level) have an operational role in supplying localdomestic and industrial water, but in reality have little role inwater resource planning and management insofar as basin-wideissues are concerned. RID regional offices perhaps contributemost to water management at the provincial and local levels.These offices work closely with water user groups and conducttraining programmes in irrigation maintenance and other relatedissues.The need for greater coordination of water management atthe basin level has been recognized through the recent creationof basin subcommittees. Three such committees have beenestablished in the Chao Phraya basin for the upper and lowerPing River tributary basins, and also for the Pasak tributarybasin. These committees are in the formative stage, but havebeen given wide-ranging advisory roles covering most aspectsof Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Theultimate intention is to form such committees in all of thetwenty-five designated river basins in Thailand, as they are animportant initiative for creating a more appropriate institutionalstructure for river basin management in the Chao Phraya basin.It remains to be seen whether the committees can beempowered with the necessary knowledge and commitment tofulfil their potential. They must also be viewed as waterresource managers and not water development committees ifthey are to effect good IWRM.Water user organizationsSince the thirteenth century, the members of water userorganizations have developed small-scale irrigation programmesin the Ping River basin without any assistance from thegovernment. These irrigation systems (Muang Fai) had their ownlaws and regulations, agreed upon among the water users whohad to pay a water fee either in cash or in kind as stipulated inthe agreement. They also had to pay the maintenance fee,contributing to tools and equipment for weir repair and dredgingthe irrigation canals. The amount of labour and accompanyingtools depended on the amount of individual cultivated land andwater use in the system.In general, there are very few successful water userorganizations in Thailand. This stems from a number of issues.