ScaleWat: scaling up capacities for responsible governance of water tenure

 Thailand

In Thailand, ScaleWat is working  closely with the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) to advance ambitions for equitable water tenure governance amid growing climate and development pressures.  

Since the project launch in October 2024, field activities began with a thorough water tenure assessment in the Prasae River Basin — a pilot area chosen to explore how water rights and management practices actually play out in local communities.  

As part of the assessment, FAO experts and Rayong-level ONWR staff, have conducted field visits and technical studies in four sub-basins. These studies have analyzed  water balance, legal frameworks, and water access and use arrangements of stakeholders,    providing insights into institutional coordination, participation of farmers and local users, and mechanisms to recognize customary water-rights holders. Findings from the Prasae River Basin will inform the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure, providing real-world examples of how inclusive governance can be achieved  with policy improvement. 

Capacity development. ScaleWat and ONWR have organized national workshops and training sessions for government agencies, water user organizations, and universities. These trainings translated insights from the assessments into tangible tools and action points for better water management.  

 

Pilot area

The Prasae River Basin is located in Rayong province in the eastern part of Thailand. The Prasae reservoir in the basin is an important water source to many sectors. including drinking water, industrial and agricultural sectors, aquaculture and tourism. Part of its water is diverted to the Ecstern Economic Zone, an important industrial estate. The Praesae river supports diverse ecosystems: freshwater ecosystems in the main river, brackish water ecosystems in the lower part of the river, and marine ecosystems in the estuary. 

Partners

  • ONWR 
  • Royal Irrigation Department 
  • Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment 
  • Provincial Waterworks Authority 
  • Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand 
  • Hydro-Informatics Institute. 

 

Key publications
Country updates
04/09/2025

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing the ScaleWat project in Thailand in collaboration with the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) and with the support other water authorities in Thailand, including the Royal Irrigation Department and the...

02/06/2025

On 29 and 30 May 2025, the ScaleWat team gathered at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) headquarters in Rome for the Global Mid-Term Planning Workshop. The event brought together project staff from headquarters and country teams in Colombia and Thailand, nationa...

18/03/2025

On 3 and 4 March 2025, experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) gathered in Rayong, Thailand, to kick-start a crucial water tenure assessment in the Prasae River Basin. The initiative, part of th...

16/03/2025

Following the second field visit to the Prasae River Basin from 3 to 4 March 2025, the national consultant team returned to Rayong to hold a basin scoping meeting, aimed at finalizing interview guides for the water tenure assessment. Feedback from the field mission highlighted the need to adap...