Water Governance in Contract Farming: A Comparative Study between

Huay Luang river basin in Thailand and Nam Ngum river basin in Laos

Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy. Hanoi, Vietnam,

November 13-14, 2012

Panpilai SukhonthasindhuM-POWER, third call

Objectives• to study the change process of the resources

utilization, water use patterns in intensified or commercialized agriculture.

• to understand conditions which are drivers, constraints, potentials, and opportunities in which local users choose to respond, negotiate or accommodate to those changes in two countries where socio-economic conditions differ.

• It is anticipated that the research will identify development policy gaps and opportunities for policy making process.

research questions • How does Contract Farming in the study areas

have impacts on the competing water utilization, livelihoods, socio-economic and cultures of the local users in the two selected river basins of the study area?

• How do local users’ knowledge and practices be integrated into water policy process and be reflected in practical water governance?

• How do the process of social interactions and dialogues among different stake-holders in negotiating be led to institutional arrangement for water governance?

THAILAND

LAO PDR

Mekong River

THAILAND

LAO PDR

Mekong River

Huay Luang River

Study area

River

Ag. Land Reform.4-01

Second Rice

Annual Rice

Legend

sub-district

Phonphisai Water gate

Na Nang sub-district, study area 132 square kms.Population 12,266 Household: 2,500 Land use:Wetland (Second Rice growing) 72 sq. km.:Ag. Land Reform 15.2 sq. km.:Annual Rice (Rubber) 28.8 sq.km.:Other 16 sq.km.

Wetlands Second Rice Growing

Participatory Resource Assessment

(P-GIS Training)

Field Survey during P-GIS

Participatory Resource Mapping

Presentation of participatory resource assessment

Preliminary findingsFour main issues identified

-Land use change impacts greatly on water use

-The deterioration of wetland ecosystem

- More vulnerability as risk area (no retention common area)

-The resilience of the community towards external drivers such as climate change, market led economy

Thank You