The Management of a Hill Water Supply System in Drought Conditions: A Case Study of Mae Lor Watersheds, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to 1) study the materials and equipment problems in hill water systems and the water consumption of people, and 2) synthesize effective and efficiency guidelines for hill water system management during drought based on community participation. The sample sizes were 180 households and 10 key stakeholders living around Mae Loa Watershed, Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai province. The primary data were collected by questionnaires, non-in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The research findings showed that some structural problems of Mae Loa Watershed’s hill water supply system included a lack of repairment, improvement, and maintenance. People consumed water in their households during the drought situation at a high average level (mean = 3.58 ± 0.73). Some implications of this research included supporting public organizations should provide enough budget and resources and promote citizen participation in taking care of the hill water supply system of each community. Additionally, local governments should support enough and necessary equipment, materials, and water quality monitoring system.