Assessment of Groundwater Sustainability in the Special Economic Zone of Thailand for Operational Groundwater Management

Abstract

Groundwater, which plays crucial role in water security has been stressed due to unprecedented population growth, rapid urbanization, changes in lifestyle, land use and climate change. Meanwhile, government’s initiatives like Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Thailand, not only foster the country’s economic growth but also limit equal access to water and create sectoral conflicts. Furthermore, the transboundary nature of groundwater, its partial knowledge and absence of proper bi-lateral frameworks, plans, and governance mechanism has emerged an immediate threat to water supplies, and competition over limited resources heightening the tension between neighbouring countries. Thus, the imbalance use and ineffective management of groundwater for development in SEZs is likely to bring sectoral scuffles and conflicts with vulnerable population such as poor, subsistence, marginalized and ethnic people. So, the proposed joint action project aims to apply the Groundwater Sustainability Infrastructure Index (GSII) developed under “Enhancing the Groundwater Management Capacity in Asian Cities through the Development and Application of Groundwater Sustainability Index in the Context of Global Change” (APN- 2013-2015). The GSII provides an assessment of the groundwater sustainability infrastructures (economics, social, institutional, environmental and mutual social trust) identify gaps of current groundwater governance and policies in SEZs and transboundary aquifers.

The proposed joint-action project with the Department of Groundwater Resources, Thailand selects Tak Province for assessing the groundwater sustainability in SEZs with the application of the proven GSII. This project is likely to be an ideal in identifying and replicating suitable guidelines and policies in other emerging SEZs under multiple stresses and social dimensions. The joint action project, which will run for two years with an integrated assessment approach to address the above research questions. It consists of system analysis to understand the context of groundwater and its use, the interdependences and complexities of the socio-physical system. Participatory and multi-stakeholder consultation/analysis and frame analysis will be used to capture values, interests, preferences, conflicts and interactions of actors regarding groundwater use and management. Similarly, a qualitative methodology such as review of related literature; interviews of relevant stakeholders (included media, NGOs, CBOs) will be used to analyse the current state of groundwater governance. The application of GSII in the SEZ gives a clear idea of current groundwater sustainability with gaps and way forward to fulfil those gaps.