Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand

In Thailand water is widely percieved as an open access resource. It is also common belief that organization of highland irrigation in northern Thailand is characterized by a relatively simple structure, and that local communities are not able to adjust their management practises to new realities. T...

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Main Authors: Andreas Neef, Peter Elstner, Chapika Sangkapitux, Liane Chamsai, Anne Bollen, Jirawan Kitchaicharoen
Format: Journal
Published: 2018
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http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/62233
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
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spelling th-cmuir.6653943832-622332018-09-11T09:28:48Z Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand Andreas Neef Peter Elstner Chapika Sangkapitux Liane Chamsai Anne Bollen Jirawan Kitchaicharoen Environmental Science Social Sciences In Thailand water is widely percieved as an open access resource. It is also common belief that organization of highland irrigation in northern Thailand is characterized by a relatively simple structure, and that local communities are not able to adjust their management practises to new realities. The existence of diverse forms of control, ownership and rights of use relating to water resources is widely ignored. This goes along with a stereotypical and static picture of highland people-and ethnic minorities in particular-as being environmentally destructive and culturally backward. These misperceptions fail to recognize that economic, institutional and social conditions are rapidly changing in the highlands of northern Thailand. These changes bring about a range of cultural and economic adjustments at the local level, which is also reflected in the management of water resources. The present article argues that cultural identities and social norms in the highlands are fluid, that local communities continuously adapt their water management practices to new circumstances, and that the outcomes of this process are not always beneficial to sustainability and distributional equity. 2018-09-11T09:24:06Z 2018-09-11T09:24:06Z 2005-01-01 Journal 02764741 2-s2.0-17044362738 10.1659/0276-4741(2005)025[0020:DOWMS]2.0.CO;2 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=17044362738&origin=inward http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/62233
institution Chiang Mai University
building Chiang Mai University Library
country Thailand
collection CMU Intellectual Repository
topic Environmental Science
Social Sciences
spellingShingle Environmental Science
Social Sciences
Andreas Neef
Peter Elstner
Chapika Sangkapitux
Liane Chamsai
Anne Bollen
Jirawan Kitchaicharoen
Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
description In Thailand water is widely percieved as an open access resource. It is also common belief that organization of highland irrigation in northern Thailand is characterized by a relatively simple structure, and that local communities are not able to adjust their management practises to new realities. The existence of diverse forms of control, ownership and rights of use relating to water resources is widely ignored. This goes along with a stereotypical and static picture of highland people-and ethnic minorities in particular-as being environmentally destructive and culturally backward. These misperceptions fail to recognize that economic, institutional and social conditions are rapidly changing in the highlands of northern Thailand. These changes bring about a range of cultural and economic adjustments at the local level, which is also reflected in the management of water resources. The present article argues that cultural identities and social norms in the highlands are fluid, that local communities continuously adapt their water management practices to new circumstances, and that the outcomes of this process are not always beneficial to sustainability and distributional equity.
format Journal
author Andreas Neef
Peter Elstner
Chapika Sangkapitux
Liane Chamsai
Anne Bollen
Jirawan Kitchaicharoen
author_facet Andreas Neef
Peter Elstner
Chapika Sangkapitux
Liane Chamsai
Anne Bollen
Jirawan Kitchaicharoen
author_sort Andreas Neef
title Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
title_short Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
title_full Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
title_fullStr Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
title_full_unstemmed Diversity of water management systems: Examples from Hmong and Thai communities in Mae Sa Watershed northern Thailand
title_sort diversity of water management systems: examples from hmong and thai communities in mae sa watershed northern thailand
publishDate 2018
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=17044362738&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/62233
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