Abstract
In the Chao Phya delta of Thailand, agricultural and water resources development were implemented for a century until the early 1960s. Such development has enhanced dry-season rice cultivation, and water demand has been drasticly increased. At the end of the 1970s, water demand in the delta exceeded the supply capability of upstream reservoirs. The Thai government has been imposing water rationing together with dry-season rice cropping in certain areas. This may be regarded as a top-down and centralized institution by the government. As limited natural resources become a constraint on production activities, a resource management system may be developed in the local community to manage and utilize the resources.
This paper first presents the past development and associated changes in agriculture. Secondly, the government's effort to control water demand is explained. Thirdly, various farmer's attitudes toward the government's top-down control are illustrated. Fourthly, the positive attitudes of local farmers to manage the water by organizing themselves and their water demands are presented. Finally, the possibility of further developing a water management social system is discussed.
