In central Thailand there is a river, born in the uplands of Loei province, which for 513 km traverses the Kingdom's heart and history, joining the Chao Phraya River in Ayutthaya province. The Pa Sak River originates in the mountains of Loei province, traverses Phetchabun province, and flows through the fertile, historic and culturally-rich plains of Lop Buri and Saraburi provinces, to join the Chao Phraya at Ayutthaya.
Long before recorded history the Pa Sak nurtured early human cultures and a diverse natural order. In early history the river helped shape Dvaravati (Mon) life and the northern outposts of the Khmer Empire in the old city of Luovo, now Lop Buri. In the seventeenth-century King Narai honoured Lop Buri as Ayutthaya's ‘second city’ and part-time capital (1656–1688), but after the reign ended the city fell into decline until King Mongkut (Rama IV) restored part of King Narai's palace in the mid-nineteenth century. Like the river, the monarchs were life-givers.
But the Pa Sak River has another face, as a carrier of death, destruction and inconstancy. Life-giving and life-sustaining in one season, in the next it is nearly dried up. Then, when monsoon rains fall across its 14 500 km2 watershed and gather to deadly concentration, the river becomes an antagonist through overabundance. In flood season the river's influence is felt even in distant Bangkok.
If the river was a person and could choose a middle path, allowing its waters to be collected, stored and wisely shared in times of little or no rainfall, it would fulfil its role as mae nam, or mother of the waters, nurturer and sustainer. Instead, throughout history it has wasted its potential in uncontrolled floods, so that instead of being a mother and a blessing it has at times been a burden or seemed to be a curse.
Traditional culture can be exemplified by sharing, according to one woman who explained the life of former times. The sharing of a pot of curry, she said, which was prepared by the mother in one household served not just for one meal or one day, but for one entire month. The mother's sharing with others in the community led to a natural cycle of sharing in return.
Sharing the gifts of nature, the food produced by the confluence of gifts was at the centre of traditional life. As mistress of the household, the mother practised the courtesy and economy of sharing. One pot of curry provided comfort and nutrition to a wide circle, a tradition of food security. Over time the courtesy was shared, and the fabric of the community - like the traditionally woven mud-mee silk - comprised the varied qualities and strengths of the community. Shared lives, shared problems and shared well-being typified the traditional Thai community.
 | His Majesty the King and the Pa Sak River Basin Development Project The Pa Sak River and its people are close to the heart of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Throughout His reign His Majesty has looked in compassion and concern to the needs of His kingdom as a whole. He has studied, experimented, and pondered the interface of agriculture, development and the well-being of His people over the past half a century. Ten years ago, on 19 February 1989, His Majesty took the initiative to reinstate the implementation of the Pa Sak River Basin Development Project to reduce the losses and disruption caused by seasonal changes, erratic rainfall and the physical characteristics of the Pa Sak River Basin. His concern encompassed flood damage control, water conservation, education and encouragement to promote balance in the environment for “self-sustaining” agriculture and to raise the quality of life for farmers in the Pa Sak River Basin. |
His Majesty granted the dam the auspicious title of the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam. In Sanskrit-based Thai, this means that it has been blessed “to effectively retain water”. This Royally-bestowed name reflects the function of the dam: it has been designed to accomplish the task of enclosing the gift of nature, retaining precious water in times of abundance, in order to extend its utility, its nurturing capacity and its gift of life, during times of insufficiency, as well as to provide efficient flood control, thus minimizing the risk of inundation and destruction.
The Pa Sak Jolasid Dam took form as an earthfill dam (having zones of soil and rock at its core and covered with a protective layer of stone) extending nearly five km (4860 m), and with a reservoir of 960 million m3 of storage capacity at high water level. This stored water would otherwise contribute to flooding in the Lower Pa Sak Basin, in the industrial and agricultural lands on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River from Saraburi to Bangkok, and in the capital itself. Instead, the water is now available year round for irrigation and other purposes.
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Under His Majesty the King's guidance, a more rational use of resources and enhanced self-reliance leading to sustainable agriculture is being implemented - in order to set the rural areas on a rational path to food security. It is necessary not only to satisfy material needs, and to concentrate on creation of wealth and jobs, but also to sustain the people, and to restore to health the foundation of their quality of life - land, soil, water and the ecosystem.
His attentiveness to farming families in the Pa Sak River Basin suggests His compassion for the well-being of His people. “What we must do is to help them sustain,” His Majesty explains. “That is, help them survive and have a good, happy life at home. After their basic needs are satisfied, we can create their development potential, so that they can live up to the changes of the society and contribute to the overall stability of the country.”
His Majesty affirms that Thailand will withstand the current Asian economic crisis better than many other countries. Rather than seeking uncertain jobs in industry and the cities, His Majesty urges government and local people to cooperate in restoring self-sufficiency in the rural, farm-based economy. Following His Majesty's recommendation, the government encourages farmers to practice sustainable agriculture to increase food production for a reliable food supply.
His Majesty's concern for Thailand's subsistence farmers such as those of the Pa Sak River Basin led to His “New Theory of Efficient Land and Water Management”. To achieve full efficiency of resources, He suggested the careful planning of land use, more rational use of resources, and varied agricultural systems suited to the local environment. As the average land tenure of most farmers is only 15 rai of land, the King said, wherever water can be reached, farmlands should be developed in an integrated way to yield optimal benefit. The guideline: 30 percent to store rainwater and raise fish for domestic use and sale, 30 percent to grow rice for family consumption, 30 percent in other crops and 10 percent as homes, farm buildings and other purposes such as roads.
Under the auspices of the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board and the Chaipattana Foundation, His Majesty's theory was first tested at Wat Mongkol Chaipattana near the Saraburi provincial seat, which is adjacent to the Pa Sak River Basin. Following His Majesty the King's guidelines, a 15 rai area was divided into four parts: three rai was used for a four-metre-deep storage pond holding 18 000 m3 of water, five rai was planted with rice, five rai produces vegetables and fruits compatible with local soil and market requirements - banana, tamarind, custard apple, coconut, cabbage, string beans, sesame, soybean, onion, and chili - and the remaining two rai is used for dwellings, farm buildings and roads.
The pilot project was successful. The storage pond provides sufficient water for use throughout the year. Water is conveyed from Huai Hin Khaow Reservoir north of the temple, which in turn receives water from the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam. With these facilities, farmers have water for irrigation during periods of drought.
Since mid-1997 Thailand's critical economic downturn severely reduced economic growth. Agriculture, however, grew during the first year of the crisis - by 1.4 percent. Increasing food security among subsistence farmers means a more stable community life.
The Pa Sak River Basin Development Project marks a new beginning. It promises effective control of floods and reliable irrigation, securing agriculture and developing the potential of land to its full capacity.
The Pa Sak Reservoir extends over 114 119 rai (182 km2). Water from the reservoir's active storage allows irrigation of 2.2 million rai (3520 km2) in the Pa Sak River Basin. During the dry season, outflow from the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam will replace 660 million m3 of water currently diverted from the Chao Phraya Dam, thus adding surplus water supply to the Greater Chao Phraya Project and the Khlong Priew-Sao Hai Project.
Despite Thailand's currently difficult economy, the Pa Sak Jolasid Dam was completed on schedule using local resources. This reliance on self-sufficiency at the national level is in response to the advice of His Majesty the King: “Development of a Nation”, He said, “must be done step by step. It never succeeds in a hurry or as a thirst for modernity or newness.” His Majesty also said that development is best accomplished by serving the people, “to reinforce the roots of society.”
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