1 AIT Asian Institute of Technology

Water shortage and irrigation policy : the case of Phitsanulok irrigation system

AuthorSurasit Sreesai
Call NumberAIT Thesis no. NR-95-09
Subject(s)Phitsanulok Irrigation Project

NoteA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Environment, Resources and Development
PublisherAsian Institute of Technology
Series StatementThesis ; no. NR-95-09
AbstractThailand has experienced water shortage country wide since 1992. This resulted in damaging agricultural production in many provinces. The government, then, has dealt with the problem by discouraging second rice cultivation, which needs a lot of water, in dry season and promoting upland crops to substitute the second rice. The cultivation of upland crops in the upstream part of Phitsanulok Irrigation System has increased, while that in downstream part hasn't and second rice has continued with increasing use of ground water in the area. In addition, farmer censure, water stealing, and conflict of canal water competitions are obvious in the irrigation system. This has occurred even though water supply is more abundant upstream than downstream. While early approaches to irrigation system management were based on purely biophysical and engineering perspectives, there is a growing recognition that social aspect are critical, including the institutions and organizations appropriate for stimulating local cooperative actions. This research has adopted system dynamic mode li ng to understand economic decision mechanism of the farmers who face different environmental conditions a long the watercourse. Research results indicate that the promotion of upland crops cultivation would be more effective provided that the existing water allocation rules, especially along the main canal, are adequately enforced in order that overuse of water is inhibit ed but r e liability of water supply is assured. This would lead not only to increasing up land crops cultivation, which would reduce the demand for irrigation water but also local institutional arrangement.
Year1995
Corresponding Series Added EntryAsian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-95-09
TypeThesis
SchoolSchool of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)
DepartmentDepartment of Development and Sustainability (DDS)
Academic Program/FoSNatural Resources Management (NRM)
Chairperson(s)Saeed, Khalid;
Examination Committee(s)Sheng, Yap Kioe;Ammentorp, Hans Christian;
Scholarship Donor(s)Swiss Government;
DegreeThesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1995


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