Accepted Guidelines on the Potential of Water Budgets for Solving Droughts: A Case Study of Chum Saeng Sub-District, Satuek District, Buri Ram Province, Thailand

Abstract

Drought situations remain a serious problem in the northeast region of Thailand, especially in Buriram province. The official guidelines are not accepted by farmers within the area and are difficult to apply. Therefore, this research aims to find acceptable guidelines for water resource management in order to solve the problem of droughts in Chum Saeng Sub-District, Satuek District, Buriram Province, in which there are three water reservoirs (Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian). In this study, we applied the principles of water balance analysis to evaluate both storage capacity and water demand and we also used community participation to confirm this information. The physical data of the reservoirs considered here comprise water demands, hydrology and monthly rainfall. The evaluation of available water was divided into three parts: the highest rainfall, the lowest rainfall and the average rainfall. It was found that the available water of the three reservoirs would exceed the highest storage capacities of the reservoirs for the highest rainfall and average rainfall cases, whereas when water demands were incorporated, it was found that the available water would exceed the highest storage capacities of the reservoirs only in the highest rainfall case. In addition, the output of the analyses was approved and accepted by the participating communities. It was found that three guidelines were acceptable for including increasing storage capacities: (1) increasing the reserved volumes, (2) expanding the watershed area for collecting rainfall and (3) encouraging the expansion of potential agricultural areas.

1. Introduction

Agriculture is a long-standing foundation of Thai society that has resulted in the development of an agricultural society. Income from agriculture is considered to be the main source of income of many households. Most agriculture involves the production of rice. Therefore, farming is an important foundation of society. Presently, rice production involves two to three crops per year; however, in some areas, cultivation is limited by highly seasonal climates, which make it possible to cultivate only one crop each year [1]. However, each cultivation incurs costs from many factors such as plot preparation, fertilization and harvesting that are controlled by the farmers. Nonetheless, water resources are the main factor important for cultivation. Water resource management is difficult to control due to some areas using irrigation while other areas rely on direct rainfall, which makes it possible to cultivate only once a year. Different years have different amounts of rainfall, and the problem of drought is one of the issues that affects farmers who rely on rainfall for cultivation [2,3].

Drought is a disaster that is caused by long-term water deficits in an area and affects some activities of people [4,5] including agricultural activities, which are the main generator of income for people in the research area. As a result, agricultural yields and farmers’ incomes are lowered. This is an important problem that must be solved. One of the strategies for solving this problem is the implementation of water resource management guidelines [6,7,8,9].

A water budget is the reserved water in a hydrological system or cycle, and it is the tool that makes possible the evaluation of the water flowing in and out of the area studied [10,11]. Hence, water resource management must consider the water budget. The general principles of a water budget include increasing water quantity and potential. The strategies for increasing water quantity include sourcing water from other areas and developing new water storage sources. In managing water resources, efforts must be made to maximize efficiency by utilizing available resources to their fullest potential while also ensuring that water availability is aligned with water usage demands [12,13,14]. The guidelines for improving the potential of water budgets in basins provide a strategy for increasing water availability and storage as well as maximizing the benefits of existing water resources. Guidelines support the improvement of the management of water sources and the implementation of single and network systems to manage multiple sources of water [15,16,17]. Oftentimes, the official guidelines are not acceptable to farmers and are impractical. The water resources problem still remains in many areas, especially in areas where the government has focused more on items such as investment cost, labor cost and incorporating related organizations.

Currently, water resource management must consider many factors including economy, sustainability and fairness in order to maximize benefits. This is because water resources are limited spatially and temporally. Water resource management includes supply management and demand management [18,19,20]. Water budgets must be sufficient to meet demands. Water budgets must consider natural losses from evaporation and leakage. Since the amount of water lost is high, the amount of remaining water must be calculated by conducting a water balance analysis in order to identify the amount of the water that can be used as required and to obtain guidelines for managing the remaining water resources [21,22]. To analyze the water balance of each area, it is necessary to fully consider metrological and hydrological data, physical maps, water reservoirs, land use conditions, contours, directions of water flows, hydraulic structures, water demands and other data. This not only supports the assessment of the available water within an area, but also enhances guidelines created for increasing the storage capacities of existing reservoirs. The accepted guidelines easily lead to practicality and a sustainable solution for the water resources problem [23].

Stakeholders in the water resource management process can be classified into three groups: farmers, community leaders, and government organizations [24,25,26,27]. The process provides an opportunity for stakeholders to have a role in both the planning and implementation stages of the project, from the initial information gathering stage to providing feedback and suggestions to improve the project’s operation and minimize negative impacts, as well as to enhance its benefits to stakeholders and gain acceptance from the community. This participation process ensures the project’s sustainability [28,29,30,31]. Solving water resources problems using community participation leads to acceptance of the guidelines for management and real practical utility, providing community benefit.

This research studied water resource management in the Chum Saeng Sub-District, Satuek District, Buri Ram Province by exploring and creating physical maps of the three water reservoirs (Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian), the natural canals, the irrigation buildings, the directions of water flows, the land use conditions and the water demands. This enabled the evaluation of the available water from the monthly rainfall data for three cases, which are (1) the highest rainfall, (2) lowest rainfall and (3) average rainfall during 2009–2021. In this study, we analyzed the water balances in order to increase reservation storage capacities and create acceptable guidelines for the management of water resources within the study areas.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Research Areas

The areas selected for study were in Chum Saeng Sub-District, Satuek District, Buri Ram Province. The location had the three water reservoirs Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian, as shown in Figure 1. The general properties of the three water reservoirs were as follows. Nhong Chonlaprathan had a rainfall area of 2.7 square kilometers, a capacity of 0.72 million cubic meters and a depth of 6 m. Nhong Taban had a rainfall area of 7 square kilometers, a capacity of 0.52 million cubic meters and a depth of 6 m. Nhong Jabok-Takian had a rainfall area of 14 square kilometers, a capacity of 0.90 million cubic meters and a depth of 8 m. The three water reservoirs stored water for agricultural purposes in summer and occupied agricultural areas of 5.6 square kilometers.

2.2. Meteorological and Hydrological Data Collection

Meteorological and hydrological data for the areas comprised monthly rainfall data for three cases: (1) the highest rainfall, (2) the lowest rainfall and (3) the average rainfall during 2009–2021. Therefore, the evaluation of available water was divided into three parts including the highest rainfall, the lowest rainfall and the average rainfall using the existing data. The data also included the average annual evaporation and the average annual leakage of each reservoir, as shown in

Table 1. The monthly rainfall data from 2009 to 2021 (millimeters, mm).

Year	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	Annual
Highest	40.6	97.9	132.6	200.6	345.6	331.6	364.7	397.6	495.3	288.5	199.2	7.3	1777.9
Average	4.9	12.5	29.2	61.8	155.3	155.7	173.6	191.6	235.0	107.4	20.8	0.5	1148.2
Lowest	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	36.9	25.2	43.0	49.7	50.9	2.4	0.0	0.0	828.7

,

Table 2. The monthly evaporation data (millimeters, mm).

Year	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	Annual
Evaporate	126	131	164	161	151	134	132	124	109	112	115	121	1580.0

and

Table 3. The annual leakage data (cubic meters/month).

Water Reservoir	Nhong Chonlaprathan	Nhong Taban	Nhong Jabok-Takian
Leaked volume	5833.33	3333.33	5833.33

.

2.3. Physical Maps

Exploring and creating the physical maps of the researched areas started with the collection of maps from relevant organizations such as the Royal Irrigation Department, the provincial agricultural office and the local administrative organizations, then proceeded to using drones, performing field surveys and asking questions of the stakeholders in each study area. The natural canals, water flow direction and land use conditions were also considered, as shown in Figure 2.

2.4. Water Demand Management

The components of water demand were consumption demand, irrigation demand, industrial demand, tourism demand, ecological preservation demand and others. The principles of water demand management focused on prioritizing water use sectors, water allocations, management of water and other resources and stakeholder participation for the present and future in each sector. The monthly or weekly water demands were primarily calculated according to the water management plans [32,33]. The data of the water demands in the areas are shown in

Table 4. The water demands (million cubic meters/year).

Water Demands	Nhong Chonlaprathan	Nhong Taban	Nhong Jabok-Takian
Consumption	0.15	-	-
Agriculture	0.88	0.55	0.97

, where it can be seen that the water from the three reservoirs was mainly used for irrigation. Nhong Jabok-Takian had the highest volume of water demand. It was followed by Nhong Chonlaprathan and Nhong Taban, in order. Water was used for consumption only from Nhong Chonlaprathan.

2.5. Water Balance Analysis

Water balance analysis considers the amount of water in the studied systems. It has two components: the amount of the water flowing in and the amount of the water flowing out [34,35], as shown in Equation (1).

I − O = ΔS

(1)

where I = the amount of the water flowing in, O = the amount of the water flowing out and ΔS = the difference between the amounts.

In this water balance analysis, the amount of water flowing in was precipitation (P). The amount of water flowing out was the amount of surface runoff and river discharge (R). Water loss was due to evaporation (E), transpiration (T) and infiltration (I) from the difference in the reserved volumes (ΔS), as shown in Equation (2).

P − R − (E + T + I) = ΔS

(2)

For analyzing the water balances of the water reservoirs, the irrigation projects or the basin systems, the water resource models could be used. The results are presented temporally as weekly, monthly or annual data depending on the resolution of the data used in the models [36,37].

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Physical Maps

The physical maps show the directions of water flows in the areas of the three water reservoirs, the natural canals, the irrigation buildings, and the land use conditions as shown in Figure 3, in which it is evident that most areas are cassava or sugar cane farms and community forests. The predominant direction of surface water flow according to the elevation of the area was determined from the contour line, which indicates principal flow from the northern higher land to the southern lower land. There are natural watercourses in the western and eastern areas (the Chi River and the Mun River).

3.2. Community Participation

Community participation, public organizations and the target groups are important for driving the sustainability of water management. Hence, all parties were asked to cooperate. This study was divided into four phases. Firstly, we started by explaining and providing guidelines in order to inform the target groups. The public organizations comprised (1) the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) of Buri Ram Province, (2) Buri Ram Provincial Agricultural Extension Office, (3) Satuek District Agricultural Extension Office and (4) Chum Saeng Sub District Administration Organization. We also included community leaders comprising (5) the Chief Executive of Chum Saeng Sub-District Administrative Organization, (6) members of Chum Saeng Sub-District Administrative Organization, (7) the Sub-District Headman of Chum Saeng Sub-District, (8) Village Heads of Ban Ta Ma, (9) Village Heads of Ban Suk Samran, (10) Village Heads of Ban Sun Wattana, and (11) the villagers of the three villages, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

Secondly, the target groups’ opinions were necessarily considered, and referenda were necessarily held in order to develop cooperation at the start of the research study once the target groups knew the draft of guidelines for management of water resources. These guidelines were based on the presentation of the storage capacity of the reservoir by considering rainfall in three cases, namely the maximum rainfall, the minimum rainfall and the average rainfall in the study area. The referenda amongst the target groups agreed with the guidelines, as shown in Figure 6. By considering stakeholder opinions, it was found that communities wanted developments in accordance with the information shared on water management guidelines.

Thirdly, draft guidelines for the management of water resources within the study area were developed, taking into account the background, problems, land conditions, land uses, development plans and community needs per the stakeholders. The stakeholders were divided into the sub-groups shown in Figure 7.

Finally, the principles of water balance analysis were applied and the data were presented to the target groups. Meteorological and hydrological data as well as the water reservoirs’ physical data were collected, analyzed and presented in order to consider opinions and bring about participation in water management and also in the design of sustainable and appropriate water management guidelines for the target groups. Accordingly, the target groups’ opinions about their participation in water management were applied to the collected data. The resulting water management guidelines were obtained for all three cases and presented to the target groups for them to use and manage the water resources sustainably, as shown in Figure 8. The results from the opinions and suggestions in this process were revised before finalizing the completed management plans. Therefore, future guidelines will be accepted and practical utility will be maintained due to stakeholder participation, as noted in previous studies [23,24].

3.3. Water Balance Models

The reservation volumes of the water balance models were tested using field data before simulating different situations. The models were adjusted in order to ensure that the reservation volumes were consistent with the field data by considering the coefficient of multiple determination (R²). It was found that R² was 0.90 for Nhong Chonlaprathan and Nhong Taban and 0.88 for Nhong Jabok-Takian, as shown in (Figure 9, Figure 10 and Figure 11). These values were considered acceptable for use [38].

3.4. Water Consumption

After testing and adjusting the models until they had reservation volumes similar to the field data as judged by considering R² values, the models were then used to estimate water consumption in the different cases of highest rainfall, average rainfall, lowest rainfall and the rainfall in 2021. The data were the monthly rainfall during 2019–2021 of Station 020191 in Satuek District, Buri Ram Province. The principles of water balance analysis were used for the simulations, generating monthly results. The results started from May, which is the first month of the rainy season, continuing until the following April. It was found that the highest rainfall, average rainfall, lowest rainfall and the rainfall in 2021 of each of the three water reservoirs tended to increase and exceed the highest storage capacities. Moreover, each reservation volume in the case of the lowest reservation volume tended to decrease and be lower than the lowest reservation volume, as shown in Figure 12, Figure 13 and Figure 14.

3.5. Water Demands

According to the principles of water balance analysis, the amount of water flowing out of the system (excluding evaporation and leakage) was used to satisfy the water demands of local people, e.g., for provision of water supply and for agriculture. It was found that the water reservation volume after using the water according to the demands in the case of the highest rainfall of each of the three water reservoirs tended to exceed the highest reservation volume. However, in the case of average rainfall (precipitation), the reservation volume of each of the three reservoirs was lower than the reservation volume between March and April as shown in Figure 15, Figure 16 and Figure 17. These conditions can guarantee that the available water in the study areas is sufficient for community demands in normal situations.

The reservation volume in the case of the lowest rainfall after the rainy season (November) was lower than the lowest reservation volume. That is, water could not be used for meeting the water demands after the rainy season, as shown in Figure 18, Figure 19 and Figure 20. These conditions depict a drought situation as faced in the lowest rainfall year according to historic records for the northeast region of Thailand [39].

3.6. Water Management Guidelines

To solve the drought situation of the study areas, by considering water consumption and water demands in the four different cases of rainfall regime, three guidelines were identified.

Situation 1: Increase the reservation volumes. By considering the average rainfall, it was found that the highest reservation volumes would be obtained in September and maintained until April if the water reservoirs had the lowest reservation volumes in the first month of the rainy season (i.e., May). That is, the excessive water was released without being used because the water was sufficient for the demands during the rainy season. Therefore, if the reservation volumes can be increased, for instance, by dredging the reservoirs, then the reservation volumes for the dry season will be increased. The reservoirs can increase their highest reservation capacities to 1,050,000, 630,000 and 956,000 cubic meters for Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian, respectively. This information is important and necessary for planning and development of the area in the future. Furthermore, the local people understand and are aware of these data. Generally, the prospect of increasing the reservation capacities of the existing reservoirs by dredging them is supported by the government organization assigned to follow this policy [40,41].

Situation 2: Expand the catchment areas. According to the principles of water balance analysis, the amounts of water flowing into the systems are important. If they are high, then the amounts of water for meeting demands will also be high. One of the sources of the water flowing into the systems was flooding from the catchment areas of the reservoirs. The experiments found that the reservation volumes would be increased if the catchment areas were expanded. The catchment areas of the reservoirs should be expanded to 10.5, 5.5 and 12.5 square kilometers for Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian, respectively. This ensures that each water reservoir’s reservation volume is equal to the highest reservation capacity after the rainy season in the case of the lowest rainfall. From this study, we found that the catchment areas can be expanded by clearing away obstructions to flow in the upper area of the reservoir. This enhances rapid upstream runoff into the reservoir [42,43].

Situation 3: Expand the potential agricultural areas. When considering reservation volume in the case of the highest rainfall after the rainy season (November), there would be water available for agriculture if each water reservoir had the highest reservation volume. By considering this water and the water requirements of plants, the areas of each reservoir dedicated to growing plants could be expanded to the potential area shown in

Table 5. The expanded plantation areas of Nhong Chonlaprathan.

Plant Species	Jasmine Rice	Sticky Rice	Cassava	Vegetables
Expanded plantation areas (m2)	360,000	336,000	1,052,800	427,200

,

Table 6. The expanded plantation areas of Nhong Taban.

Plant Species	Jasmine Rice	Sticky Rice	Cassava	Vegetables
Expanded plantation areas (m2)	476,800	443,200	1,385,600	1,331,200

and

Table 7. The expanded plantation areas of Nhong Jabok-Takian.

Plant Species	Jasmine Rice	Sticky Rice	Cassava	Vegetables
Expanded plantation areas (m2)	1,008,000	937,600	2,929,600	2,880,000

. The influence of these expanded plantation areas was considered during the farmer participation process.

4. Conclusions

Chum Saeng Sub-District, Satuek District, Buriram Province, Thailand has been facing a serious drought situation. There are many guidelines for solving this problem being promoted locally by both government and nongovernment entities. In addition, the official guidelines are not accepted and difficult for farmers to use in practice. Therefore, this research aimed to create acceptable guidelines for water resource management in order to solve the problem of droughts in this area. Three storage reservoirs were considered (Nhong Chonlaprathan, Nhong Taban and Nhong Jabok-Takian). Water balances were analyzed in order to study the available water of the reservation volumes of each reservoir in four cases of differing rainfall (highest rainfall, average rainfall, lowest rainfall and rainfall in 2021) using monthly rainfall from 2018 to 2021 at Station 020191 in Satuek District. Community participation was utilized to consider and confirm the results as well as approve the guidelines for management of water resources in the study area.

For the three reservoirs, it was found that the reservation volumes in the cases of the highest rainfall, average rainfall and the rainfall in 2021 tended to increase and exceed the highest reservation volume. Additionally, the reservation volumes in the case of the lowest rainfall tended to decrease and be lower than the lowest reservation volume. By considering water consumption and water demand in the study areas, it was found that the reservation volumes of the three water reservoirs would exceed the highest reservation volumes in the case of the highest rainfall after using the reserved water. Nevertheless, there were some water scarcities at times in the average rainfall and lowest rainfall situations. Hence, there are three appropriate guidelines that consider water consumption and demand in order to provide benefits for agricultural activities, which is the main activity in the areas studied: increasing the reservation volumes, expanding the catchment areas and expanding the agricultural areas. These three guidelines will provide sustainable development guidelines because they are truly accepted by the stakeholders.