Water

Country Water Actions: Thailand
Integrated Watershed Management through People's Participation in Upper Mae Yom, Phayao Province, Thailand

This project was proposed by the Coordination Center for Natural Resources and Environment Management (CNEM), a non-government organization based in Chiang Mai, Thailand that was established in April 2000.

The objectives of the project are:

1. Create awareness on improving water quantity and water quality, and reducing soil erosion in the Mae Yom watershed
2. Protect and rehabilitate the upper watershed through people's participation
3. Solve deforestation problems in highland areas and upper watershed which have adversely affected highland and lowland communities due to resultant soil erosion, floods, and droughts
4. Protect the river bank as a community property, a green area and buffer zone for recreational activities

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Upper Mae Yom Watershed, with an area of 23,616 km2, is the source of two main streams encompassing two districts in Phayao Province. This major watershed encompasses at least six sub-watersheds: (1) Nam-nguen; (2) Nam Loo; (3) Nam Ngim; (4) Nam Khuan; (5) Nam Nan; and (6) Nam Mao.

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• Stakeholder Consultations
• Integration of water and environmental management in local educational curriculum
• Seminar on solid waste management
• Spiritual Ceremony
• Upstream-downstream stakeholders information exchange and consultation
• Study Tour
• Reforestation Activities
• Training on Land Use Planning
• Establishment of Conservation and Buffer Zone Areas for Recreational Activities

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• The networks of irrigators associations that were developed by the project across districts have provided an opportunity for farmers and stakeholders to realize the commonalities of their concerns, and that the impacts of unregulated human activities on the watershed are felt by a large segment of the population, and not only by the farmers themselves.
• The project has facilitated the development of water use and environmental plans through continuous consultation and active coordination of said activities.
• Introducing water management technologies are better appreciated and could be more effective if directly linked with livelihood and income generating opportunities.
• The establishment of basin committees provided the institutional backbone and structure for local farmers and other stakeholders to be adequately represented in government decision-making.
• Cultural beliefs and practices, such as the spirit ceremonies, were crucial in bringing people together, catalyzing project initiatives, and influencing social behavior particularly with regard to resource utilization.
• Stakeholder consultations conducted by the project had pointed to the need to clarify, define, and institute water rights to enable more effective water management.

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• Strengthen interaction between and among Muang Fai farmers, irrigators associations, upland farmers, and government agencies
• Provision of financial and technical support for pilot small-scale livelihood activities
• Provision of financial and technical support to continue and enhance the river management and environmental plans that were developed under the project
• Conduct of information and environmental awareness campaigns