Promoting the Construction of Underground Water Banks for Community Environmental Conservation by Local Government Organization in Thailand

Abstract

       This article presents the results of a study the promotion of building underground water banks in the community by the Local Administrative Organization (LAO), the model of underground water bank construction, and the effect of underground water bank construction on the community environment. The study area was at three LAO in Thailand that succeeded in constructed the underground water banks. The samples were 117 administrators and communities’ representatives. Data were collected by interviews and observations. Data was analyzed by content analysis. The results of the research revealed that there were 2 patterns of underground water banks: 1) closed pattern, which composed of 2 forms: wells form that was built to collect rain water in the area around the house, channel form was built to collect runoff along road edges. 2) open pattern, built in a large area hole which composed of 2 forms: the form of deep channel in shallow canals and the form of digging a deep hole to the bedrock layer in the middle of the pool. The two underground water banks would store water together and link together to form an underground water cable network pump groundwater back up for consumption in the community throughout the year. The promoting construction of underground water banks by the LAO has provided knowledge of how to build it for the people of the communities, supported budgets and materials to build in people’ houses, gardens, farms, fields, and public areas; coordinated cooperation of other agencies, and increased motivation by rewarding communities that build uunderground water banks in all households.  It had a positive effect on the community environment as a whole, reduced the problem of flooding and scarcity, increasing soil moisture and using groundwater could enhance the community economy.