กลุ่มผู้ใช้น้ำในรูปแบบของเครือข่ายกับการรักษาระบบนิเวศน์ในพื้นที่ลุ่มน้ำ

Abstract

In water basin area in the North of Thailand, people have settled down mostly along the alluvial plains for utilizing water in their daily lives and for doing their agricultural occupations continuously for a long time. The settlement pattern is spreading in groups covering the alluvial plains in the upper part and lower part of water basin. At the present (2015), population of every communities is increasing constantly and has a direct variation towards the area’s agricultural expansion by expanding the area into the forest area more every year. This affected directly to the ecosystems of the forest and water unavoidably. The aforementioned problem has direct effects on the agriculturists because their water resources decrease continuously as well. Therefore, groups of water users have joined hand with each others to find the approaches to prevent or alleviate the problem for years in order to decrease the effects of the problem constantly until certain results were seen. The objective of this study was set to find the mechanism for balancing between ecosystem conservation of the forest and water that is relate to water utilization system for agriculture of the communities by studying from case studies in Mae Jai, Mae Khan, Mae Wang, Mae Klang, Mae Tang, and Mae Ngud basin in Chiang Mai province. Contents used in the analysis derived from basic information from network of water users, organizing a discussion forum for network synthesis, field study to the actual area, comparing aerial photographs, and analyzing secondary data received from organizations involved. It was found that water management in the form of network of water users for agriculture is the pattern that can solve many problems. It can solve the problem in water allocation to be fairer. It can decrease conflicts in water allocation from upstream area to downstream area. This can help in terms of land utilization for being able to plan the cultivation plans which is relate to the water resources. It can help oversee and maintain the normal condition of the water resources and can oversee and conserve the ecosystems of the forest and water to attract more abundance. Therefore, the water management in the form of network of water users is one of the mechanisms that was designed by groups of water users themselves in order to connect water users from various groups and to increase the negotiation power of the groups of water users. It was expected that this will connect with the work of the basin committee for more concrete results than it is actually happening now.