Ayudhaya, Prathuang Narintarangkool na, and Helen Ross. 1998. "From Conflicting to Shared Visions for a Commons: Stakeholder's Visions for Integrated Watershed Management in Thailand's Highlands." Presented at "Crossing Boundaries", the seventh annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, June 10-14.

Abstract

From the Authors' Introduction:

"...Our research is part of an interdisciplinary program to develop a framework for integrated water resources assessment and management. It includes participatory research to elicit, compare, and hopefully to help to integrate the different visions for development of particular highland watersheds held by local people (ethnic minority groups and lowland Thai farmers), government departments, NGOs and business interests. It also acknowledges the effects of highland practice on downstream water users. Other stages of the research include resource assessment, and the development and evaluation of options for the sustainable development of the highlands (Jakeman, Ross and Wong 1997; Ross, Narintarangkool and Wong 1997).

"This paper describes the visions of stakeholders in two of the four sub-catchments we are studying in the Mae Chaem watershed: Mae Pan, in the middle reaches of the system, and Mae Lu, in the lower reaches. The Mae Chaem is a tributary of the Ping River, and lies to the west of the well-known northern town of Chiangmai adjoining the Burmese border. The visions are compared using conflict mapping techniques, with a focus on underlying needs as well as the stated aims of each stakeholder. Our interest is in exploring the capacity to improve stakeholders' understanding of one another's situations and needs, identifying the potential for stakeholders to develop shared visions for the development of these catchments, and for them to enter into participatory process of local policy- making and environment management. Are there prospects for some forms of co-management of these watersheds, and if so in what form? This paper is based on work in progress, since not all stakeholders have been interviewed yet...."