Strategic Management of Upper Mae Kuang River Basin with the Participation of Civil Society

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze management patterns, barrier levels, factors affecting successful management of the river basin, as well as offering strategic guidelines that will serve as a mechanism for the effective involvement of civil society. However, the result of this research will be of benefit to the academic sector, policy implementation, to the society and community, natural resource, and environmental management, including educational research and various development forms. Many of which will lead to the development of natural resources and environment, and appropriate river basin management that are under the area. Target area and key informants consisting of Mae Kuang River Basin Network Committee, relevant government personnel, experts, scholars, community leaders, philosophers, villagers, and people in the area. A questionnaire, survey, interview, group meeting, workshop, and critical analysis were used as a form of data collection. The data were analyzed and were presented in both qualitative and quantitative. The result of the study showed that the management pattern and procedures, for the management of the Upper Mae Kuang River Basin, consists of for patterns such as 1) Government Management Pattern 2) Project Management through Roya Initiatives 3) Community Management 4.) Private organization or NGO.  Whereby, operate according to King Rama 9 Philosophy: 1) implementation of the procedure from small to large 2) the process of reforestation in the people’s mind learn, understand, access and development 3) support on a culture's resources, natural environment, and community, 4) participation and cooperation process from all parties. The results of the research lead to the development of the Upper Mae Kuang River Basin ecosystem. Which help improve the quality of river basin in the area, the community were able to live and eat abundantly around the river basin with the community economy from agro-forestry and eco-tourism management. The Barrier level from the management of the Upper Mae Kuang River Basin involves the quantitative participation of civil society was found to be low, as for the qualitative results, it was found that the government and the public sector lacked the knowledge and understanding of the holistic river basin management and the perceived information between government officials and people differed. And the implementation of redundant development / solving projects in the government sector. The factors affecting the success of the management of the Upper Mae Kuang River Basin include 1) the knowledge body that is appropriate to the geosocial characteristics and the learning process that can build awareness, build understanding based on culture, Wisdom and life 2) An explosion from the inside (inside out) caused by understanding, recognize the value system, reach out, generate opinion guidelines for developing and implement a plan of action and judgement. 3) Participation, identify love, unity, strength, through group processing, networking and empowerment from all sectors including government, private, academics, developers and communities 4) Holistic co-management. It is driven by vision, plan, working together and management in all dimensions. Analyzing the strategic guidelines that will serve as a mechanism for the effective involvement of civil society analysis include the following: 1) Integrated Management Strategy by the mechanism of the Integrated River Basin Management Committee River basin provisions and river basin management funds. 2) Strategies for driving the management process through the mechanism of the Institute of Natural Resources Environment and way of life for the future is responsible for driving knowledge management. Being the core of cooperation Expansion of concepts, principles, and knowledge..