Water Management in the Bang Ban Floodplain Area of Bang Ban District, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Province: The Impacts and Negotiations of People in the Area

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to examine how water resources in the Bang Ban floodplain area, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Province were managed and 2) to study the impacts and political implications of the local actors' negotiations in the Bang Ban floodplain area. The findings revealed that the implementation of the Bang Ban floodplain area policy, aiming at safeguarding urban and industrial zones, led to the establishment of a centralized mechanism for water management by the government via the enforcement of a new rice planting calendar. The Royal Irrigation Department serves as the principal authority responsible for both water allocation and discharge into fields. However, despite efforts to include the local sectors through decentralized and participatory mechanisms, the community still did not have real authority to manage water. The aforementioned water management resulted in several consequences during both floods and water shortages, including the change of water status into a commodity that farmers need to pay for access. This situation finally led to the villagers’ rise to negotiations in two forms; firstly, the dissemination of structural problems in water management by the government via a Facebook page entitled “Ayutthaya Station,” which was originally created to promote provincial tourism but is currently used as a public space for negotiations and raising awareness about water management issues. The second negotiation form was conducted through knowledge creation by local researchers, who aim to study water management problems, including all stakeholders, to shed light on water management solutions. Besides, the local researchers have enhanced their knowledge to negotiate with the government so as to achieve more equitable and sustainable water management.