The Challenges of Water Resource Management from Top to Bottom: A Case Study in Chi River Basin, Thailand

Abstract

This paper focusses on the challenges of employing the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach in the Chi River basin in Northeast Thailand to determine its effectiveness and pitfalls. At the macro level, the problems of IWRM were found to be related to the fragmentation of the ministries associated with water issues and the poor coordination of political parties. Therefore, to address this challenge of IWRM, cooperation (sahakān) through deterritorialization and deregulation of both bureaucratic structures at the state level and the local authority's recommendations needed to manage these water resources. Observation and interviewing methods were employed in the three villages to explore the conditions of IWRM. Gaps in cooperation between the institutions at the state and local levels were found from limited roles and budgets to manage water resources in each administrative area. This paper discusses recommendations at both the state and local level. At the state level, there are structural and non-structural measurements to consider. These measurements must be addressed by the facilitators of the institutions in order to bridge gaps in cooperation and in order to plan and address the larger scheme of water issues at both national and regional levels. At the local level, deregulation and deterritorialization were found to be the key concerns of IWRM between the different local authorities.