Land conversion in BMR peri-urban area : impact on water resource and implications on public management | |
| Author | Rutmanee Ongsakul |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UE-02-02 |
| Subject(s) | Land use--Thailand--Pathum Thani--Environmental aspects Environmental management--Thailand--Pathum Thani |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | This thesis studies the phenomenon of land conversion in a BMR peri-urban area, Rangsit Field, during the past 15 years (1989-2002), its environmental impact in the area, and the associated conflict arising from changes in the water canal use and differences in sets of stakeholders. It also studies the implications of these to traditionally existing public administration mode in the area. The findings of the study identify that allocation of land in the area has been based mainly on individualistic actions and preferences of landowners and real estate developers. Government planning framework and programmatic tools have had very limited effect in guiding and mitigating the adverse effects of haphazard and rapid development of land that is characterized by mixed-land use where factories, commercial establishments, and housing estates encroached into previously homogenous agricultural area. In the context of highly mixed use of land along irrigation canals in the Rangsit Field, farmers who have traditionally used this water resource for agricultural purpose have generally suffered the adverse effects of worsening pollution perpetrated by factories and housing and commercial firms who now use these same canals as discharging points for their waste water. Conflicting use of water canal by two different sets of users at present has exacerbated the consequences of administrative separatism in dealing effectively with the integrated problem of deteriorating water quality and competing uses. Irrelevance of a public administration system afflicted by functional fragmentation is also coupled by territorial fragmentation of local governments vis-a-vis a trans-boundary environmental problem. Such a situation has created serious gaps in implementation of policies and remedial measures. It is concluded that the challenges confronting environmental management of the BMR peri-urban development is the need to understand the characteristics of distinctively new problems in the mixed land-use area, to recognize complexities of competing resource use and associated conflicts, and the need to address the reality that these environment-related problems cut across traditional administrative and organizational boundaries requiring new types of managerial measures and administration. Based on the above conclusions, the thrusts of recommendations are therefore two-pronged: one set are interventions to address the existing environmental conflicts in the areas, which emphasize coordination and co-operations among different relevant local authorities and their national agency partners; another are interventions to mitigate further haphazard development arising from inappropriate land conversion through comprehensive and effective environmental and land use plan covering neighboring local authorities to ensure development of well-structured peri-urban areas. |
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sajor, Edsel E. ; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Amin, A. T. M. Nurul ;Banasopit Mekvichai; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | RTG Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003 |