The Mae Gok Watershed
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Page 1 of 33 Regional Environmental Technical Assistance 5771 Poverty Reduction & Environmental Management in Remote Greater Mekong Subregion Watersheds Project (Phase I) RRA Report on MAE GOK WATERSHED IN CHIANG MAI AND CHIANG RAI PROVINCES Watershed Profile By Mr Colin McQuistan 1.0 Introduction: The Mae Gok Watershed. The introductory data focuses upon secondary sources collected from provincial departments of various government agencies. This provides an introduction to the present situation in the watershed area as a whole. 1.1 Project area and target of study The Mae Gok watershed is located in southeastern Myanmar and northern Thailand and covers a total area of 10,870 km 2. The river Mae Gok originates in Myanmar and covers an area of approximately 2,980 km 2 in Shan State of Myanmar. The River Mae Gok enters Thailand at the village of Ban Tha Don, in Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai province. The watershed in Thailand covers an area of approximately 7,990 km 2. In Thailand, the Mae Gok watershed covers 8 separate districts and 2 minor districts of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces. This area encompasses a total of 63 sub-districts with 677 villages as registered by the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) of the Interior Ministry. The watershed in Thailand constitutes the Mae Gok river and three principle tributaries, these are the Fang river, Lao river and Suai river. The basic physical attributes of the entire watershed are as follows; 1.1.1 Hydrology The basal stream flow as measured at the 25 principle water monitoring stations on the Mae Gok river indicate an average flow of 5,280 Million m 3 /year. Of this total, an average of 330 Million m 3/year is diverted or stored within the watershed. This results in the average stream flow of 4,950 Million m 3/year entering the Mekong River. Table 1.1: The stream flow of the three major tributaries Tributary Stream flow 1 Fang River 860 m 3/year 2 Lao River 930 m 3/year 2 Suai River 195 m 3/year Total stream flow 1,985 m 3/year Page 2 of 33 1.1.2 Irrigation Development projects. In 1992 there were almost 240 separate water development projects of various Thai government agencies in the Mae Gok watershed. These ranged in size from farm ponds to village weirs and small scale dams. These projects have a combined irrigation benefit to almost 90,370 hectares. The majority of these projects belong to either the Department of Local Administration or the Royal Irrigation Department. 1.1.3 Water power electricity project. At present there are 3 water power electricity projects under construction in the Mae Gok watershed. Two of these projects are from the Department of Energy Development and Promotion and the third from the Provincial Electricity Generating Authority. These hydropower projects have a combined power production of 8,675 kilowatts or approximately 29.4 million units. 1.1.4 Water demand status. The water from the Mae Gok watershed is utilised for numerous purposes. The majority demand is for agricultural irrigation, which accounts for almost 96%, with only 4% used for consumption, tourism, and industry. This water demand is predicted to increase but the overall proportion in each activity remains the same. 1.1.5 Analysis of predicted water supply. A study of reservoir simulation utilising the HEC-3 model to predict water supply and demand indicates that overall the water supply situation for the Mae Gok watershed is adequate up to the year 2006, if no major changes in the hydrologic system occur. Although the model predicts shortages in some areas for agriculture especially in the Mae Sao and Mae Lao project areas and for potable water in the Chai Prakan and Fang district. Although the model predicts shortages in the short term they do not appear serious whereas the long term predictions suggest serious problems if the supply and demand situation does not change. 1.1.6 Proposed project for the Mae Gok watershed. The current physical situation in the Mae Gok watershed suggests the following priority projects for the sustainable development of this watershed. Long-term developed plan (before 2006). These are the Mae Suai reservoir project in Mae Suai district and the Ban Mae Na Wang reservoir in the Mae Fang watershed. High potential developed plan. The Mae Poon Luang reservoir project in the Mae Lao watershed 1.2 Land utilisation 1.2.1 Forest area and agriculture Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai are the two most northerly provinces in Thailand both with their northern borders joining Myanmar. Both provinces have a long history of human occupation with Chinag Mai once being the centre of the Lanna kingdom. Both provinces have a wealth of natural resources with large areas of natural forest, agricultural lowland and upland areas inhabited with ethnic hilltribes. This mosaic of land use types, developed to a great extent by the various resident population results in a very diverse landscape. Table 1.2 indicates the land utilisation for the two provinces in terms of agricultural land, Forest land and land used for other purposes. Table 1.2: Land utilization in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai : 1985-1993 Area (Rai) Chiang Rai Chiang Mai Year Total land Farm land Forest land Others Total land Farm land Forest land Others 1985 7,298,981 2,267,487 2,861,250 2,170,244 12,566,911 1,443,100 10,131,250 992,561 Page 3 of 33 1986 7,298,981 2,316,966 2,811,731 2,170284 12,566,911 1,472,692 10,030,777 1,063,442 1987 7,298,981 2,346,927 2,763,066 2,188,988 12,566,911 1,443,458 9,707,501 1,415,942 1988 7,298,981 2,331,516 2,715,250 2,252,215 12,566,911 1,459,503 9,502,344 1,605,064 1989 7,298,981 2,332,448 2,694,375 2,272,158 12,566,911 1,453,754 9,481,250 1,631,907 1990 7,298,981 2,295,998 2,630,891 2,372,092 12,566,911 1,344,914 9,346,226 1,875,771 1991 7,298,981 2,285,192 2,568,906 2,471,883 12,566,911 1,354,550 9,213,125 1,999,236 1992 7,298,981 2,205,809 2,527,828 2,565,344 12,566,911 1,312,817 9,102,781 2,151,313 1993 7,298,981 2,194,713 2,494,219 2,610,049 12,566,911 1,300,385 9,012,500 2,254,026 1.3 Public health facilities 1.3.1 Medical and public health staff Chiang Mai is a center of high education for northern Thailand with excellent further and higher education facilities. This situation results in the proportion of medical and public health staff to the resident population being higher than in neighbouring provinces. Although this situation occurs in the provincial centres, in the remote districts such as in the Mae Gok watershed the medical provision is poor. Thus if figures for the province as a whole are examined the supply of medical facilities appears adequate. Table 1.3: The provision of medical staff Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces Proportion to Population Chiang Mai Chiang Rai Doctor 1:2,245 1:9,757 Dentist 1:9,277 1:47,285 Pharmacist 1:9,750 1:38,419 Medical nurse 1:728 1:2,750 Technical nurse 1:4,769 1:5,718 Beds 1:332 1:798 If medical staff in the remote districts are examined it is found that the staff supplies reported above are focussed upon the district centres. Thus the provision of medical staff in the Mae Gok watershed itself is poor. 1.3.2 Public health service facilities. The provision of public health service facilities ranging from large hospitals to small clinics in the two provinces is indicated in table 1.4. As with medical staff these facilities are focussed upon the district centres. The supply of medical facilities to rural areas is often very poor with a total absence of medical facilities for the people living in the mountain regions. Table 1.4: Medical facilities in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces Facility Chiang Mai Chiang Rai Hospital size 90 beds 0 1 Hospital size 60 beds 3 1 Hospital size 30 beds 5 4 Hospital size 10 beds 12 4 Health center 215 143 Page 4 of 33 Public health center 86 65 Other 7 0 1.4 Social and economic situation In 1998 the average income for the entire population of the northern region of Thailand was $621 per year. The population of Chiang Mai province reported the highest income for the region with an average of $798. By comparison the average income for Chiang Rai province was $557 which is significantly lower than the average income for the northern region. These figures compare to the national average income of $1,053 per year. 1.4.1 Employment A survey of single household employment in the Mae Gok watershed in 1992 by Chiang Mai university found that single household employment figures are highly contradictory when compared between the two provinces. For example the data for Chiang Rai province ranks occupations in the following order; Farming, Service sector, Arable crops, and Trade followed by a minority in other groups. Whereas, for Chiang Mai province the Service sector is number one followed by other agriculture with rice farming ranked only as number four.