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
Thailand: ScaleWat team refines water tenure interview guides at basin scoping meeting
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...
Thailand: Preparing the water tenure assessment in the Prasae River Basin
31/01/2025
The Office of National Water Resources of Thailand (ONWR) organized a field visit to the Prasae River Basin in the Rayong Province with the goal of introducing the ScaleWat project to local stakeholders and visiting potential study sites for the national consultants to evaluate. The pilo...
New water tenure publication presented during First Regional Consultation for Asia-Pacific in Bangkok
10/12/2024
In the context of the International Soil and Water Forum 2024, the first Regional Consultation on Responsible Water Tenure Governance was held on Monday, 9 December 2...
FAO and ONWR launch the ScaleWat project in Thailand
30/10/2024
On Tuesday, 29 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) of Thailand signed the official agreement to start implementing the pr...