Participatory Interventions in Farmer-Managed Irrigation Systems in Northern Thailand: Dynamism in Resource Mobilization

Abstract

"Agriculture and water development in Thailand in general, and Northern Thailand in particular, has long historical perspectives as the country depends on agriculture for both subsistence and economic growth. Although the country is comprised of 25 large river basins, water shortage during dry season has often restricted farmers to intensifying and diversifying their farming system and assisting in the national economy by producing surplus grain for export. Water development for agriculture therefore becomes crucial in several regions of the country.

"There were several small-scale irrigation systems operated and maintained by farmers some 700 years ago, particularly in Northern Thailand, through customary regulation as autonomous units. These systems were efficient and stable in regulating water for the wet season crop but insufficient for intensive dry season cultivation. In order to manipulate water resources to meet the great demand for rice export and to promote economic growth, the Canal Department was established in 1903, which was later named the Royal Irrigation Department (RID). In the early days, the primary objective of RID was to design large- and medium-scale irrigation systems to increase the productivity of rice mono crop in the central plain region. Given the situation of political and economic transformation, almost all the farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) were technically improved and taken control by state governments in the northern region. As a result, the FMIS lost their autonomy and were forced toward greater dependence on the state mainly through technological intervention. Moreover, local communities also lost many traditional sources of revenue such as water tax and rice tax. The state intervention on water development gradually expanded throughout the region until 1946.

"The post-1946 period saw significant changes in terms of new technology intervention in production system and water resource development. The farming systems were increasingly diversified and farmers started to grow non-rice crops such as maize, cassava, kenaf, and sugarcane which are, respectively, considered to be the periods of agricultural transformation. As the commercial crop production started, dispute on land issues increased considerably. The traditionally-formed committees were gradually broken down and had a significant impact on the rural development in general and water development in particular. No land entitlement documents were ever issued until the Land Act was officially proclaimed in 1954. Most of the farmers in northern part enjoyed only usufruct rights over land although they formulated their own principles of land inheritance. The property rights issue directly effected the efficiency of land use and consequently the total agricultural productivity of the region.

"However, in recent years, the government has realized the importance of farmers' participation in water development activities and initiated several small-scale people-managed irrigation systems throughout the country. In order to retain farmers' ownership of the intact systems, the government adopted a participatory mode of intervention especially formulated to help FMIS of smaller area coverage. The government also specified a participatory management framework where the government and user farmers could undertake action in mutual understanding.

"With these perspectives of irrigation management by farmers, the paper documents the history of water development and management with special reference to FMIS organization, rules, roles, and regulations of operation process. The paper then discusses the evolution of the public intervention process in FMIS and their implications on property rights issues and on consequent management conflicts arising thereof. With the change of government policy of promoting export during 1946-70 period, its impact on the mode of operation of FMIS in Northern Thailand has also been reviewed. Finally, the paper discusses recent participatory intervention processes in the changed economic context based on a case study of before-and-after intervention in FMIS and suggests policy implications of these process on the management of FMIS."