Factors Affecting Farmers’ Participation in Irrigation System Maintenance: A Case Study of Pa Sak Jolasid Dam Operation and Maintenance Project

Abstract

This research aims to study the general influences such as social and economic forces in order to compare with the level of farmer participation for improving irrigation system. The study intended to picture the connections between farmer participation level and influential factors related on their participation level. The sample groups is farmers who have concussed water from Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, Lopburi. The data collection was conducted by questionnaire then, it was analyzed by SPSS program claimed T-test and F-test with 0.05 significance and also showing correlation coefficients.

It was fond that the irrigation water users had internal management with the public officers. The farmers' irrigation system maintenance has the economic and social factors including age, location, cultivation area, crop, monthly income, and access to news. The first three factors of their participations in the maintenance are as follows: 1) the users participated in forming the users in their areas, 2) the users regularly complied with the rules and agreements on the water usages, and 3) the users received the benefits from the irrigation system with shifts for using the water.