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Water Champion: Wasan Jompakdee on IWRM and the Ping River
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 From 1998 up to the present, he has served as member of the Working Group for the Environmental Protection of Chiang Mai. When the Upper Ping River Basin committee was established in 1999, Dr. Wasan again served as an active member. Dr. Wasan was awarded best river keeper by the Thai government in 2001. To date, he continues to work for the sharing, protection and restoration of the Ping River. In 2003, he was featured in ADB's video documentary about the Ping River, entitled "Upstream Downstream." |
As a boy, I was raised in a farming community, with huge rice fields at the back of our house. The Ping River was a constant presence to our community -it is where we catch fish during rainy season, where we get water for irrigation.
Sharing is a way of life to our community—whether it is sharing labor, buffalos or water in irrigation canals—so I have actually been practicing IWRM without knowing it as IWRM.
To me, IWRM is a modern term for human wisdom in respecting and living in harmony with nature.
IWRM is about the overall management of rivers, lakes, groundwater, and river basins.
In 1999 the Upper Ping River Basin Committee was established as the forum for all stakeholders on the Ping to find common grounds for sharing and protecting our vital river system. Through this Committee, the different communities of the Ping, local NGOs and government departments concerned with water resources management have begun to work together to find the balance between conflicting demands of water.
Fifteen sub-watershed committees were also established at the same time on the 15 major tributaries of the Ping River.
There is a Thai word "Nam Jai" that means "water from the heart." It also refers to kindness, compassion and sympathy, which are pillars for peace in our society. People are convinced that without "Nam Jai" and the proper care of our watershed system, nobody will survive or be truly happy.
The local farming communities of the Upper Ping River Basin have an indigenous form of water management that has existed for more than 700 years. Called the "Muang - Fai, " it calls for strong solidarity and cooperation among the members of various communities. Despite the changing times and more complex problems, this solidarity and cooperation still exist and serve as a good foundation for modern IWRM in Thailand.
Another factor is the shift in policy. For the past 50 years or so, people were made to feel that only the government should manage natural resources, and the top-down policy approach was often implemented. But with the new Thai Constitution enacted in 1997, the rights of indigenous-local communities and their traditional wisdom in natural resources management were again recognized.
A major challenge is obviously getting all the stakeholders to participate and think collectively to ensure that everybody has adequate access to water. Participation, in itself, is complex; it is further complicated by the increasing diversity of water user groups. Now, water must be shared not only with farming communities but also with other sectors, e.g. tourism, industry, domestic use.
First, the fundamental truth-water is life. Where there is water, there will be life. As such, everyone must do his part to ensure that water is managed sustainably.
Second, everyone lives downstream. We cannot use water so unrestrainedly that we jeapardize the lives of the people living downstream, because the people living upstream from us can do the same thing. I always call people's attention to a famous gesture of the Buddha statue, the one with his right palm up to prohibit "Water War" among his friends and relatives. Everybody needs water!
Finally, I want to make the Thai people realize that if we maintain healthy forests and take good care of our environment, we will have enough water for everyone. If we live in harmony with nature, nature will provide enough resources to sustain our life.
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