Download - Thailand water management policy: Case of the Mekong River Basin Prasopsuk Sungboonmark Auditor Practitioner Level OAG Thailand.

Thailand water Thailand water management policy: Case management policy: Case of the Mekong River Basinof the Mekong River Basin

Prasopsuk SungboonmarkPrasopsuk Sungboonmark

Auditor Practitioner LevelAuditor Practitioner Level

OAG ThailandOAG Thailand

ObjectiveObjective

To extent that the Thai Government has To extent that the Thai Government has the policies regarding the Mekong Basin the policies regarding the Mekong Basin Water Resources Management in Water Resources Management in compliance with the MRC policy compliance with the MRC policy framework.framework.

The Mekong River The Mekong River Commission Commission

(MRC) (MRC)

MRCMRC

Established fromEstablished from “the Agreement on the “the Agreement on the cooperation for the sustainable cooperation for the sustainable

development of the Mekong River Basin” development of the Mekong River Basin” in 1995 by the Government of the four in 1995 by the Government of the four

riparian countriesriparian countries Cambodia, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and VietnamThailand and Vietnam

MRCMRC

To promote and coordinate sustainable To promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ and related resources for the countries’

mutual benefit and the people’s well being mutual benefit and the people’s well being

Source: http://www.mrcmekong.org

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Every year, environment and water ministers of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam meet to discuss emerging issues related to the Lower Mekong Basin. As Council Members of the Mekong River Commission, the ministers convene to review and come to mutual conclusions on the management and development of water and related resources within the framework of the 1995 Mekong Agreement.Then, the MRC Joint Committee, which comprises senior officials at no less than Head of Department level of the four countries, and supported by national line agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, takes these decisions and policies forward by putting them into actions.Technical and administrative functions fall under an operational arm, the MRC Secretariat, managed by a Chief Executive Officer. Currently, there are about 150 staff members based in two Secretariat offices—one in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the other in Vientiane, Lao PDR.The Secretariat facilitates regional meetings of the Member Countries and provides technical advice on joint planning, coordination and cooperation. It also works closely with the four countries’ coordinating bodies, the National Mekong Committees (NMCs), and other state agencies. Currently, the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Myanmar are engaged as MRC Dialogue Partners.

The Basin Development Plan :BDPThe Basin Development Plan :BDP

The BDP is part of the MRC’s commitment to regional The BDP is part of the MRC’s commitment to regional cooperation under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, and in cooperation under the 1995 Mekong Agreement, and in particular a response to Article 2particular a response to Article 2 “the formulation of a “the formulation of a basin development plan to promote, support, co-operate basin development plan to promote, support, co-operate and co-ordinate in the development of the full potential of and co-ordinate in the development of the full potential of sustainable benefits to all riparian States and the sustainable benefits to all riparian States and the prevention of wasteful use of the Mekong River Basin prevention of wasteful use of the Mekong River Basin waters”waters”The BDP would be used to identify, categorize and The BDP would be used to identify, categorize and prioritize the projects and programmes to seek prioritize the projects and programmes to seek assistance for and to implement at the basin level”assistance for and to implement at the basin level”


In early 2011 the MRC endorsed the Integrated Water In early 2011 the MRC endorsed the Integrated Water and Related Resources Management (IWRM)-based and Related Resources Management (IWRM)-based Basin Development Strategy. The IWRM-based strategy Basin Development Strategy. The IWRM-based strategy provides regional and transboundary perspectives for provides regional and transboundary perspectives for basin development planning and creates a basin development planning and creates a transboundary management framework to ensure that transboundary management framework to ensure that nationally planned developments are well coordinated. nationally planned developments are well coordinated. This is to make sure that the developments sustain and This is to make sure that the developments sustain and create mutual benefit to the riparian countries and their create mutual benefit to the riparian countries and their people. Therefore, The MRC members should make people. Therefore, The MRC members should make their water management policies to comply with the their water management policies to comply with the IWRM-based strategy. IWRM-based strategy.


The formulation of a basin plan is achieved through a The formulation of a basin plan is achieved through a seven-stage rolling basin development planning process. seven-stage rolling basin development planning process. The key feature of the process is the inter-play between The key feature of the process is the inter-play between national and sub-nationalnational and sub-national plans with basin-level plans with basin-level opportunities made possible through effective opportunities made possible through effective transboundary cooperation.transboundary cooperation.The BDP bring together the interconnection between The BDP bring together the interconnection between national and basin planning, bringing together national and basin planning, bringing together consideration of water and related resources at the sub-consideration of water and related resources at the sub-basin and national levels in an integrated assessment of basin and national levels in an integrated assessment of commulative impacts of basin-wide development commulative impacts of basin-wide development scenarios.scenarios.

4 4 BDP Sub areasBDP Sub areas Kok-Kong (2T)Kok-Kong (2T) Kong (3T)Kong (3T) Chi and Mun Chi and Mun

(5T)(5T) Tonle Sap (9T)Tonle Sap (9T)

Source: http://www.mrcmekong.org

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Audit CriteriaAudit Criteria

Legal and Organization framework concerning Legal and Organization framework concerning the action plan implementation is specifically the action plan implementation is specifically defined.defined.There must be the planning process ensuring There must be the planning process ensuring that the collaboration with the MRC is that the collaboration with the MRC is appropriately structured.appropriately structured.There must be the planning process ensuring There must be the planning process ensuring that participation from all stakeholders is that participation from all stakeholders is involved.involved.The action plan gets involved in the budgetary The action plan gets involved in the budgetary processes in every level of the Government.processes in every level of the Government.

Audit Audit MethodologyMethodology

Data CollectionData Collection Document Reviews (Gov’t Policies, Laws, Document Reviews (Gov’t Policies, Laws,

Regulations, Annual Budget Document, etc.)Regulations, Annual Budget Document, etc.) InterviewsInterviews

The Secretariat of National Water Resources CommitteeThe Secretariat of National Water Resources Committee The Secretariat of Thai National Mekong CommitteeThe Secretariat of Thai National Mekong Committee The head of the water resources regional office The head of the water resources regional office River Basin Committee (RBC)River Basin Committee (RBC)

QuestionnairesQuestionnaires

Data analysisData analysis

Audit findingsAudit findings

• Researchable Questions– Whether Thai government has the clear water re

sources management policies on the Mekong Basin or not?

– Whether the concerned organizations have the integrated water resources management in line with the BDP’s process or not?

– Whether Thailand’s Mekong Basin water management plan conform with the BDP?

Whether Thai government has the clear water resources management policies on the Mekong Basin

or not?

Thailand already has the national water Thailand already has the national water management policiesmanagement policies The National Economic and Social Development Plan The National Economic and Social Development Plan

(NESDP)(NESDP) The office of Prime Minister’s regulation on the The office of Prime Minister’s regulation on the

National Water Resources Management, B.E. 2532National Water Resources Management, B.E. 2532 The National Water Resources Management PlanThe National Water Resources Management Plan However, they do not have the specific plan or However, they do not have the specific plan or

specific policy for the Mekong Basinspecific policy for the Mekong Basin

Whether the concerned organizations have the integrated water resources management in line with the BDP’s proces

s or not?

Thailand have an organization structure on Thailand have an organization structure on the water resources managementthe water resources management The National Water Resources Committee The National Water Resources Committee

(NWRC)(NWRC) River Basin Committee (RBC)River Basin Committee (RBC) Working groups under the RBC such as the Working groups under the RBC such as the

Sub-basin Working groupsSub-basin Working groups The BDP coordination working groupThe BDP coordination working group

BDP Organizations

The Cabinet

The National Water

Resources Committee

Thai National Mekong

Committee Secretariat:

TNMCsThe River Basin

CommitteeConsultative

Groups

DG of DWR(secretariat)

Planning

WG

Sub-basin WG

WG on Public

Relations

BDP WG WG 2T’s sub area

WG 3T’s sub area

WG 5T’s sub area

The Joint Committe

e

Development

Partners and

Cooperating

Institutions

The MRC Secretariat

Council

MRC

Source: http://www.dwr.go.th

Whether the concerned organizations have the integrated water resources management in line with the BDP’s proces

s or not?

Many RBC cannot create Sub-basin Working Many RBC cannot create Sub-basin Working Group completelyGroup completely

the BDP coordination working group have the BDP coordination working group have never been work and 2 RBCs have not never been work and 2 RBCs have not created this groupcreated this group

Whether Thailand’s Mekong Basin water management plan conform with the BDP?

The NWRC and the RBC hardly apply the The NWRC and the RBC hardly apply the MRC policy to make the water resources MRC policy to make the water resources management plan on the basin level and management plan on the basin level and the national levelthe national level

The projects proposed by the RBC have The projects proposed by the RBC have the less proportion of all approved projectsthe less proportion of all approved projects

Most of the approved projects are Most of the approved projects are proposed by the central governmentproposed by the central government

ConclusionsConclusions

Although Thailand have clearly the water Although Thailand have clearly the water resources management policies and resources management policies and appropriately the water organization structure in appropriately the water organization structure in line with the BDP. But they do not have the line with the BDP. But they do not have the specific plan or the specific policy for the specific plan or the specific policy for the Mekong Basin Mekong Basin The concerned organizations did not have the The concerned organizations did not have the integrated water resources management in line integrated water resources management in line with the BDP’s processwith the BDP’s processIt means that Thai government cannot integrate It means that Thai government cannot integrate the water resources management in the Mekong the water resources management in the Mekong Basin in line with the BDP.Basin in line with the BDP.

Thank You Thank You