Technology adaptation for rural development : assessing Thailand's micro-hydropower program | |
| Author | Helling, Andrew Louis |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.HS-86-01 |
| Subject(s) | Technology--Thailand Rural development--Thailand |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering. School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | A comprehensive assessment of the Thai National Energy Administration's Micro-Hydropower (MHP} Program is carried out in the general context of evaluating participatory rural infrastructure development programs. Principle aspects studied include: technical adaptation of component designs and construction methods, institutional forms and linkages, and benefits realized by participating village communities. Data collection methods employed were study of project documents, direct participant observation in planning and implementation activities, and scanning surveys/rapid appraisal of rural project sites. Findings centered on the adaptation of designs to maximize use of local resources-at the village level for civil works and within the urban sector for manufactured hydro-electric components; on the importance of flexible response and of vertical and horizontal linkages to the effectiveness of the program implementation unit; on the role of participation in the function of Village Electricity Cooperatives; and on the limited application of MHP generated electricity for non-domestic applications in project areas. Problems identified include inequitable exclusion of some low income-labor contributing households from consumption of electricity; lack of income, employment, and savings generating application of electricity in project areas; reported frequent outages and potential future limitations on peak power consumption; and the lack of a systematic project selection approach to planning MHP projects. Exploratory analyses are carried out of the feasibility of revolving credit provision for financing household connections, of initiating cooperative village rice-milling components in project areas, of reducing per-household investment costs and increasing reliability by implementing mixed DC/AC delivery systems, and of implementing a rational area-based integrated framework for MHP-grid extension planning in hilly regions. Recommendations follow based on these discussions for maximizing benefits realized by rural households from investments in rural electrification in remote regions with decentralized hydropower potential. |
| Year | 1986 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Demaine, Harvey |
| Examination Committee(s) | Lucas, N.J.D. ; Prida Thimakorn ;Yapa, Lakshman S. |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Canadian International Development Agency-Broad Based Development Program (CIDA-BBDP} |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1986 |