'The Political Science Association of Kasetsart University'
Abstract
The Chao Phraya basin has long been a water-deficity basin. Water stored in the Bhumipol and Sirikit dams only allow the irrigation of half of the delta, in average. The share of water available for agriculture in the delta is declining because of higher water abstraction both within the upper reaches of the basin and in Bangkok Metropolitan Area. The question of where, to whom, when and how this scarce resource is allocated is therefore of paramount importance. The paper first reviews the sectoral and spatial pattern of allocation in the last 25 years and assesses the efficiency and the equity of this allocation. It subsequently investigates all the options offered to increase management efficiency and proposes some guidelines for achieving higher equity and more even sustainability of farming systems. This includes technical, socio-institutional and economic issues. (Résumé d'auteur
