THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER IN WAY OF LIFE RESIDENTS THE CANAL OF THE UPPER BANGKOKNOI, NONTHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the importance of water as related to local wisdom and way of life of residents in communities along upper Bangkok Noi Canal. This research was a mixed method research involving quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. In the quantitative research, a questionnaire was used as the research tool to collect data from the research sample consisting of 100 important persons, aged 40 years or over, who were family heads and whose names appeared in the civil registration. In the qualitative research, a focus group discussion was conducted involving 30 purposively selected community leaders. The research tool was a form containing issues for focus group discussion. The research results show that (1) water is important as related to local wisdom and way of life of residents in communities along the upper Bangkok Noi Canal in Nonthaburi province as follows: the element of nature related to occupation, the element of beliefs concerning the world and the universe related to human faith, the religious element related to the faith in religion as the spiritual attachment under the care for the others, and the culture and tradition element concerning the satisfaction with water traditions related to the way of life wisdom; and (2) water is related at the top level to the way of life element of happiness in terms of longevity in life with the happiness from surrounding society, to be followed by the relationship with the element of happiness in terms of the satisfaction with the traditional sufficiency way of life, and the relationship with the element of happiness in terms of having the water traditions which are harmoniously combined with the existing nature of the communities along the upper Bangkok Noi Canal in Nothaburi province.