2019: The Development of S&T for Sustainable Water Resource Management following His Majesty the King’s Initiative by the Community
03/08/2021
The development of science and technology for sustainable water resource management following His Majesty the King’s Initiative that has proceeded following the HII’s strategic framework for 20 years (2017-2036).
The development of science, technology and database for Sustainable Water, has aimed to transfer and expand the outcome science and technology application, in order to develop the local and community are able to create water information, water map, and spatial water resources completely.
The local community has supported the way to manage and plan water resources development in their area precisely and suitably. The outcome is security of water, food, community economy, and energy.
The currently result of project’s implement, there are 60 core communities in 19 river basin areas, and total 1,659 of communities network. In 2019, has expanded the outcome of New Theory Agriculture for 154 households with 0.6 sq.km. and self-expanded to 554 households.
In addition, the community has increased productivity during dry season for 750 households which profitable for 13.50 million Baht, including relieve of flood and drought risks for 24,764 households, agriculture area for 133 sq.km. and increase water reservation capacity of 4,207,074 cubic meters.
Example: Good practices in Phetnamnueng Community, Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi Province. Promotion for infrastructure to increase agriculture productivity
Phetnamnueng Community in the past and present
The area in the past at Phetnamnueng Community, Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi Province was abandoned golf course over 5 sq.km. where located in Phetchaburi River basin, and upper Phetchaburi Sub-basin. With community area was 5.7 sq.km., the villagers about 237 households were the farmers on gravel soil and laterite that unable to reserve water for consumption in area sufficiently. The villagers have faced drought event and debt from monoculture.
Learning tools application to plan the development of water sources in own area
In 2016, community has restored existing water resources, connected water sources for 9 ponds, and enhanced increasing of water reservation structure over 100,000 cubic meters.
Including has created water distribution system to New Theory Agriculture and grown organic vegetables in greenhouse protective net by solar pumping system.
Moreover, group of farmers have built a greenhouse and cold storage to keep produce fresh for sale at Golden Place Supermarket. The communities have learned water resource management and taken action to plan systematically in these following workplan;
1) Established a model of water resource management as Pond Network (main pond links to sub-small ponds) which constructed water piping system to distribute water from Area 7 pond (large reservation pond) to surround sub-small pond for 1,000 meters. Including installed solar pumping system for 3.5 kw. to distribute water directly through piping system (due to pumping spot was higher than other reservation ponds) instead of pumping water up from tank tower. This good for increasing water pumping from 50 liters/min to 5,000 liters/min. With moved installation of 20 solar cells on the ground to floating raft. All plans have promoted to generate power efficiently and be good quality of water resources.
Diagram of water resource management as Pond Network
2) Constructed water-saving distribution system to cultivation, adjusted farmland, created water balance in their area by planning water resource management and generating, installed mini sprinkler irrigation system and drip irrigation system in agriculture plots, including in greenhouse.
Diagram of farmland adjustment for New Theory Agriculture
3) Built a containment building and keep vegetable and fruit products which consist of clean room and fresh-cut products, sorting and containment room, cold storage room for products preservation at 0-10 degree Celsius, and the space for vegetable and fruit for 230 baskets.
The outcome
From the success of implementation, the community for 238 households could relieve from drought and dry spell situations, including beneficial area for 5.7 sq.km., increased water reservation capacity for 150,000 cubic meters, and security of occupation.
Readiness of public utility, guarantee and business profits of farmers’ collaboration, success in central market bargain, and increasing profit from agricultural products distribution, these could help the community suspended debt payment from Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.
Currently, the group of villagers assembles their production named “Phetnamnueng farmer federation in community enterprise” with 22 members. They plan for the production in their area for 1.44 sq.km. and to expand the marketing, total number of 11 products consist of Acacia Pennata, Holy Basil, Ivy Gourd, Paco Fern, Raw Papaya, Guinea-pepper, Small Eggplant, Eggplant, Tomato, Red Cherry, and Cucumber. All products have sold to Suwanchat Co., Ltd. (Golden Place Supermarket) for 3 branches in Phetchaburi Province and 4 branches in Bangkok that increased the income approximately 20,000 Baht/month to Phetnamnueng’s community enterprise.
