The Analysis of the Institutional Landscape of Thailand’s Water Management System: A Systematic View on Water-Related Agencies

Abstract

Water management is a politicized sector in terms of its effectiveness and fairness in water resource management, and river basin conflict management and resolution. Politics also determines the regulatory framework for the water sector. Globally, water management is considered as a fragmented sector. In Thailand, there are 38 laws related to water management structure and regulations, and more than 30 agencies are involved in this sector. This research aims at a better understanding of Thailand's institutional structure of water-related agencies by adopting an institutional review as a qualitative methodological approach to unpack the complexity of its existing structure. While the transition of water management around the world is moving toward an area-integrated water management approach, this study shows that Thai water-related agencies are functional-based with the power and responsibility concentrated at the national and ministerial-departmental level. In this context, there are three main critical actors that need to coordinate with diverse and scattering technical-related agencies at the national level. The key is to ensure institutional structure and relations supporting comprehensive perspectives systems and stressing the shared goals on adaptive and sustainable water management both at the local and national levels. The findings of this research can serve as the evidence-based foundation for policy and institutional development recommendations. This study suggests a greater involvement of technical experts and researchers in defining the water management system for understanding the positioning of each actor in the water system and searching for ways to strengthen their coordination.