Water Diplomacy Development in the Chao Phraya River Basin
About this Article
Contributed by:Siripong (Pong) Treetasanatavorn
Contributor Perspective(s): Observer
Article last edited 30 Apr 2014 by TSP
Article originally added by TSP
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This article is linked to Integrated Management and Diplomacy Development of the Chao Phraya River Basin
Water Diplomacy Development in the Chao Phraya River Basin
Applying the Water Diplomacy Framework to this specific case, the author advises the following three aspects to improve the current practice. In a nutshell, one should revisit basic assumptions and may be required to draw implications from a set of probably different logical interpretations.
First, the Chao Phraya River Basin is an extensive network of natural and human-made constructions that are both open and continuously changing, and subject to a large set of both manageable and unmanageable time-variant unknowns. Taking this aspect into consideration, managers should be mindful that no single decision should be made as absolute, irrevocable and unchallengeable. For example, the decision on the annual amount of water release from major dams should rather be made on a continual basis with close monitoring of the basin dynamics that may, as a result, lead to continual find-tuning or corrections of the prior decisions. Also, the management system should remain nonpartisan and impartial in the information collection and interpretation, such that the decision to be made should be based on facts, rather than biases and prejudices.
Second, the management of the basin should focus on consensus building and value creation among stakeholders, decision-making parties and affected people. Water is a dynamic resource that may not necessarily have to be perceived as a contentious medium for a zero-sum negotiation. One possible way forward may rely on the improvement of water resource efficiency and equity. This effort could be maximized in an orchestrated collaborative and complementary manner. Such could be applied in both contexts of drought and flood management of the entire basin as one integrative logical unit.
Third, the management process should not only be formed, organized and driven by considering the dynamic of the water resources, but also focused on the learning of the management organization and particularly stakeholders, constituents and affected people. It is only cooperation, adaptation, and continuing learning from the ground that would likely produce a robust and sustainable system. At the same time, the management of a complex network of resources of the Chao Phraya River Basin should be driven by a coherent and inclusive policy and political practice that directs the implementation of the concerted efforts, conducive to a long-term desirable result for the people. This end result should be an ultimate objective of the entire engagement.
