Participatory Water Resource Management in Thailand: Where are the Local Communities?

Abstract

"In Thailand's water sector the concept of <i>karn-mee-soun- roum</i> (participation) has been strongly advocated since the late 1990s with the introduction of the 1997 Constitution. Decentralization has also been promoted with the target to devolve power from the central to local governments, particularly the <i>tambon </i>(sub-district) administrative organizations (TAOs). In 2002, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) was established, aiming at managing water resources with emphasis on enhanced public participation. To achieve its goal, one of the DWR nationwide projects is to introduce the river basin as a territorial and administrative unit for water resource management with a river basin management working group/committee for each river basin.

"This paper aims to explore the implementation of the DWRs river basin management concept and discuss its implications for local water user groups using the Mae Sa River Basin Management Working Group (RBMWG), located in the northern Chiang Mai province and the first of its kind in Thailand, as a case. Particular emphasis is placed on the roles of TAOs envisioned to be key players in translating the river basin management effort. To this end, participant observation in the RBMWG had been conducted from July 2006 September 2007. Meetings of selected member TAOs of the RBMWG were observed. Protocols of meetings of the RBMWG and selected TAOs as well as related documents were also collected. Data were also obtained from informal discussions with individual officials involved in this project.

"Based on the data collected, it was observed that the organizational structure of the RBMWG is dominated by state agencies, accounting for more than a third of the total members. With their rigid bureaucratic boundaries, these state agencies largely passively participated in the RBMWG meetings. As regards the TAOs, it was found that their participation level is limited due to their administrative structure and mandates. Local communities and local water user groups, the main stakeholders in rural water management, are thus far not directly represented in the RBMWG. The paper will discuss opportunities and challenges of strengthening representation of local stakeholders in the RBMWG and enhancing the dialog between local stakeholders, TAOs and state agencies."