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Integrating Watershed Management for Land Degradation and Improving Agricultural Productivity in Northeast Thailand

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/4616/
 
Title Integrating Watershed Management for Land Degradation and Improving Agricultural Productivity in Northeast Thailand
 
Creator Wangkahart, T
Toomsan, B
Pathak, P
Wani, S P
 
Subject Watershed management
Land degradation
 
Description Thailand’s northeastern region accounts for one third of the country’s population and
land area, but generates only 15 percent of the gross domestic product. Most of the region’s
inhabitants have small holding, are low income farmers who face diverse agricultural and
resource problems related to extreme environmental variability, an adverse climate, poor
soils and limited, often unreliable water resources. Due to these problems the current
agricultural productivity and income is very low. The deforestation and other agricultural
practices have led to the changes in the hydrologic environment and caused widespread
land degradation problems. To tackle these problems several watershed management
programs have been implemented by various government departments and organizations.
This paper reviews the various watershed development management works in northeast
Thailand and discusses their approaches and impact on agricultural productivity and
natural resources.
The impact of small-scale water resources (SSWR) development program implemented
by the Thai Royal Irrigation Department and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, on
the socio-economic conditions of the farmers in NE Thailand was studied. It was found that
the farmers in SSWR area earned more income from agriculture, than farmers outside SSWR
area. Farm profitability and source of farm cash income of SSWR farmers were closely
related to dry season cash crops rather than wet season rice. Area under double cropping
was found to be higher in SSWR area than those outside SSWR area. In terms of productivity,
profitability and equity the weir type SSWR system was found to be the most appropriate
for northeast Thailand. Overall the study indicated that the small scale water resources can
play very significant role in increasing the productivity and income of small rainfed farmers
in northeast Thailand. The Department of Land Development approach of watershed
development and management gives greater emphasis to small farm ponds and control of
soil erosion. This program is being implemented on large scale in Thailand. The Kingdom
Watershed Management Program for small, medium and large scale watersheds is also
discussed.
The results from integrated participatory watershed management project implemented
jointly by the Department of Agriculture, Land Development Department and Khon Kaen University in close collaboration with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-
Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are discussed in detail. This project is being carried out at two
benchmark sites, viz., Tad Fa in Phuphaman district and Wang Chai in Phuwiang district
in northeast region of Thailand. Results shows that with proper land use planning and use
of integrated soil, water and nutrient management (SWMM) and crop management options
the land degradation can be controlled (soil loss of 5 t/ha/yr in improved system vs soil loss
of 37 t/ha/yr in the traditional system). The project interventions significantly increased the
water availability and crop yields. Promising watershed management technologies developed
at the project sites provide a good framework for increasing productivity and income of
farmers on sustained basis, while improving the soil and water resources.
 
Publisher International Water Management Institute
 
Contributor Sharma, B R
Samra, J S
Scott, C A
Wani, S P
 
Date 2005
 
Type Book Section
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/4616/1/Integrating_Watershed_Management_for_Land.pdf
Wangkahart, T and Toomsan, B and Pathak, P and Wani, S P (2005) Integrating Watershed Management for Land Degradation and Improving Agricultural Productivity in Northeast Thailand. In: Watershed Management Challenges Improving Productivity, Resources and Livelihoods. International Water Management Institute, Columbo, Sri Lanka, pp. 314-326. ISBN 92-9090-611 1