Questions/Answers

In times of agricultural crisis, 49.40 percent of the local farmersdid not have sufficient water for agriculture. In spite of the fact that there were abundant water resources, they could not be thoroughly distributed to all areas for people in need. To resolve the mentioned problems, a conference has been set up to take up suggestions and to analyze the problems together with groups of farmers, women, underprivileged people and the local youth.As a result, water user committees, entrepreneurs and Chaiburi SAO officers have found out that the root of these problemslies in inefficient water management that thwarted sufficient and continuous water distribution, leading to disputes over water among the farmers, decreased local agricultural productivity and damaged farm products, which, consequently,affected local income. At the conference, it was concluded that participation from the farmers should be encouraged by allowing the locals to be part of the management, assigning 14 water user committees, supporting participation from the locals to manage water use in their owndifferent contexts.On account of the innovation, agricultural water has been sufficient for the needs of the farmers; rice productivity has increased. The locals and farmers feel obligated to use their natural resources sustainably and selflessly; moreover, local income has increased, leading to economic stability and better quality of life in accordance withthe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely the first goal that aims to eliminate poverty and the second goal that aims to stop starvation and to assure food security.

The main objectives are to provide agricultural water for farmers all year round, to allow farmers to take part in water management, to reduce social inequality, to resolve disputes over water and to be able to solve farmers’ problems more rapidly by the management of local water user committees.

Public-Private for Agricultural Water Management innovation is the cooperation with farmers to decide, to brainstorm, and to participate in effective water management by assigning management committees and asking for opinions from the farmers on regulations of the associations and water distribution schedules, equally setting up schedules and zones for the distribution.It can resolve disputes over agricultural water effectively and manage water billing, water pumping machine maintenance and agricultural water ditch reparation. The regulations on agricultural water use, approved by local people in the sub-district, will be guidelines for effective and systematic water management to establish social equality. The locals have a chance to participate in every process of agricultural water management

The innovation positively complies with SDGs as follows. The first goal aims to end poverty by providing guidelines for equal access to water resources, allowing local segment to participate in agricultural water management. To achieve this goal, Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization has rectified the 2013 Legislation on Use of Water in Agriculture for the purposes of solving water scarcity problems, providing enough water for agriculture all year round, increasing productivity and local income, and finally encouraging the locals to use natural resources sustainably. The second goal aims to stop starvation by assuring year-round agriculture, doubling productivity of local agriculture, increasing product quality and joining rice propagation with the Rice Seed Center to preserve high quality rice seed for further use in agriculture.

Initially,Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization had solely been in charge of water management until major problems occurred, such as inequality and disputes over water use which later became a serious crisis in the sub-district. Consequently, every segment has finally realized that it is important to ask for opinions in order to solve these problems by assigning water user committees for all 14 areas to manage water use in their own areas. Currently, after the water user committees have been assigned to participate in decision-making, these problems can be solved effectively. The needs for agricultural water can be fulfilled properly, and local farmers are allowed access to water resources equally.

Agricultural water management of the committees can provide sufficient water for year-round agriculture for 49.40 percent of the local farmers. As a result, agricultural products doubled, and local income increased. Furthermore, water user associations have joined rice propagation with the Rice Seed Center to develop high quality rice seed and also joined other community enterprises to produce brown rice, Sangyod rice, riceberry and food processing such as Pun Sib mini puffs and Kanom Jeen noodles.

Every water user committee has registered agricultural water users and planned water distribution by zoning user areas according to conditions of those different areas and assigning the committees who are responsible for scheduling times for water distribution. The committees also charge the members for water use to manage electricity billing and maintenance of water pumping machines of the Sub-district Administrative Organization, to fix and dig water distribution ditches and to repair roads for agricultural use, without relying on the budget of the Sub-district Administrative Organization. The committees will publicly announce water distribution schedules of each zone, and the committees of each zone will always be in charge of the operations according to the arranged schedules.

It is the innovation initiated by groups of farmers cooperating with Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization to encourage participation from the general public to help solve problems and take responsibilities by forming associations of water users that cover all areas and inventing a water pumping machine (called Chaiburi Khong-Hang) from local wisdom to increase water quantity.There are also other networks to support the operations, collaborating with visions of the management team, especially the Chief Executive of Chaiburi SAO who has policies to solve agricultural water problems and to encourage the farmers to participate in the management. Chaiburi Agricultural Development and Learning Center, which is an example of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, will be a learning center existing to educate the farmers. Most importantly, it is in accordance with the government policy named Public-Private which is empowerment of every segment of the citizens whether the general public, business segment or every government sector, to develop our society at all levels.

1.Personnel -Farmer sparticipated in analyzing and finding solutions -Water management committees participated in the water management and decision-making -Chaiburi SAO rectifying local regulations in order to operate the management more rapidly and collaborating with other segments to fulfill the needs of people 2.Institutions, budgets, materials and equipment -Public sectors: Department of Local Administration, Phatthalung Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of Energy, Phatthalung office and Phatthalung Provincial Administrative Organization -Private sectors: Nong-Neung’s Pun Sib Community Enterprise, WutthichaiLua-sub’s Retailer, Channel 13 Siam Thai, Chaiburi Agricultural Development and Learning Center, Kosoltanyakit Rice Mill Part., Ltd., 3.Local wisdom:ChaiburiKhong-Hang, an energy-saving water pumping machine, and Long Kak Kiew Kao Gathering (when locals work together in rice fields to save time and cost) 4.Natural resources:Ban-Kok-Wua and Han-Pim Weirs, Ban-Chong-SaeKaem Ling (water reservoir) and 5 canals, namely Khlong Muang, Khlong Rua, Khlong Bang-Nhon,Khlong Phrayalung and Khlong Tha-Mamuang (Pakpra) 5.Financial budgets: wages for staff,maintenance and repair of water pumping machines, and electric utilities from Department of Local Administration and Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization, amounted to 6,342,483.56 baht

نعم

Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization has founded the Innovation Learning Center to transfer information by inviting farmers with hands-on experience to educate anyone who is interested to learn. According to statistics, 3-4 groups of people are interested in joining the courses per month.A website andsocial media of the organization are also published such as – www.chaiburicity.go.th According to statistics, there are 442 visitors. Facebook: Chaiburi SAO According to statistics, there are 2,348 visitors. Youtube: Khong-Hang Innovation According to statistics, there are 464 visitors. Furthermore, other organizations that had visited Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization used the management of 2013 Legislation on Use of Water in Agriculture as guidelines for management in other areas, for example Ban-Suan Sub-district Municipality, Kuan Kanun District, Phatthalung.

The innovation is sustainable in these following dimensions— • Social dimension: Farmers affected by water scarcity have participated in problem solving and rectification of relatedmatters of law or regulations and taken part in effective water management; therefore, water user members feel obligated to follow the rules and regulations of those particular areas. • Economic dimension: Water user members have sufficient water for agriculture use. Consequently, rice farming can be done twice a year, boosting local agricultural productivity by 133% and increasing local income. • Environmental dimension: Farmers feel obligated to use their natural resources, for example water, sustainably by recognizing cause and effect of the problems that had occurred.

Collaborative management that allows local farmers to be part of the management will rapidly solve the problems of particular situations, with close budget scrutiny to ensure its transparency. The committees share knowledge with the farmers and set up monthly conferences to listen to the problems and results of the operation. These can be tools to strengthen the management of the farmers to solve their own problems and to broaden knowledge in problem solving. Moreover, the operation that always takes into account current situations will be the main factor that brings sustainable success and cultivates wisdom to the next generation. Currently, the local youth, especially children of farmers, are encouraged to follow and study the works of the committees at least once a week in order that they can gain and absorb knowledge from them.Integrated with Child Development Center, the activity called “From the old to the new generation” is set off to educate children in the center about water management and water and energy conservations. Lastly, the water user committees have also provided manuals, models of water management, committee structure and regulations of the associations at Chaiburi Sub-District Innovation Learning Center for everyone who is interested to learn about the innovation.

نعم

The innovation has been formally evaluated by survey research such as evaluations before and during the operation. The committees, consisting of Chief of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Agricultural Research Officer, Finance and Accounting Analyst, Plan and Policy Analyst Assistant, have been assigned to scrutinize the accounts of operation results of each association, satisfaction towards the management of involved segments and suggestions for the innovation.Questionnaires had been used to acquire information from 50 water user committees, farmers and members of water user associations. Afterwards, the researcher verified, assessed, analyzed the questionnaires systematically and demonstrated the information with information tables.

The evaluation result of the management by water user committees is that water distribution is effective and sufficientto farmers’ satisfaction. 96 percent of the water user members are satisfied with the management. The successes of agricultural water management of the water users committees are as follows— 1. amount/quantity of products (paddy) - increased 100-200 kg./rai 44 people = 88 percent - increased 201-500 kg./rai 6 people = 12 percent 2. income from farm products/income from value-added products - increased 500-1,500 baht/rai 44 people = 92 percent - increased 1,501-3,000 baht/rai 4 people = 8 percent 3. use of local wisdom to reduce cost of production (Long KakKiew Kao Gathering) - used 74 percent - not used 26 percent

This evaluation has divided the analysis result into 3 parts. The first part is an analysis of general information from the respondents, using percentage calculation. The second part is an analysis using mean (X) calculation to the percentages of aspects such as -Percentage of satisfaction towards Chaiburi Sub-district Administrative Organization in allowing associations of water users to be part of the management -Percentage of satisfaction towards Chaiburi water user committees -Percentage of satisfaction towards rates of agricultural water bill charged by the water user committees -Percentage of satisfaction towards compensation paid for the water user committees -Percentage of satisfaction towards the water user committees in successful and sufficient water distribution management -Percentage of satisfaction towards ChaiburiKhong-Hang Innovation -Percentage of satisfaction towards Sub-district Administrative Organization and the water user committees in supporting value-adding of farm products -Percentage of satisfaction towards the water user committees in solving urgent problems such as damaged ditches or worn out roads that affected product delivery -Percentage of satisfaction towards agricultural water management of the water user committees in increasing farm productivity and local income The third part is an analysis of management success using percentage calculation

(1) Participants involved in management are water user members and ChaiburiSAO. (2) Participants involved in practices are 2.1 Water users held community conferences and imposed regulations of the associations (to determine time and place for water distribution, to stipulate conditions of water service request and cancellation, to operate water pumping stations in order that they are in accordance with the regulations of SAO) 2.2 Chaiburi SAO conducted and allocated budget, and set out rules for smooth operation. 2.3 Other government organizations made contributions to this innovation such as– Department of Local Administration supported electricity costs. Phatthalung Disaster Prevention and Mitigation contributed diesel water pumping engines for areas without electricity. Ranod-Krasae Sin water piping and maintenance project of Songkhla, an institution responsible for monitoring and preventing sea water from surging into agricultural areas and ruining crops. Phatthalung Rice Seed Center supported the rice propagating plot project for the farmers and bought rice seeds from the project at higher prices. Nong-Neung’s Pun Sib, a community enterprise in Chaiburi sub-district, bought Sangyod rice to make Pun-Sib mini puffs. Kosoltanyakit Rice Mill Part., Ltd. bought Sangyod rice and Riceberry at higher prices. Channel 13 Siam Thai broadcasted Sangyod rice production in Chaiburi / PhatthalungPracharathSamakkeeCo.,Ltd took farm products to sell at a lot of fairs held by government organizations. Rubber Authority of Phatthalung bought local farm products and retailed them at the central market of the organization every Thursday. (3)The evaluators consisted of Scrutiny Committees, who suggested and inspected accounting of agricultural water users and Monitoring and Evaluation Committees, who were responsible for monitoring and evaluating the results of agricultural water management and conducting a survey research on the result of the operation of water user associations

The lesson learned is that in order to solve local problems to everyone’s satisfaction, it is absolutely crucial to encourage participation from the locals who are currently facing thoseproblems in every process of the management such as brainstorming, decision-making, operating and inspecting. Besides, regulations of the associations should always be approved by the members. To develop and strengthen water user associations, it is important to give them freedom of decision-making in all different aspects such as association management, budget management, agricultural water distribution, product’s value-adding, finding markets for products and opening up a channel for the farmers to learn about technology in order to expand product export, improve packaging to add value to the products and stay on top of the latest news to adapt to their local contexts.